A Rose By Any Other Name
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Slice of Life in their Future – DV with a nod to SJ, CC and TI. AN: Not my usual type of fic. But it begged to be written, so I thought I’d toss it in the pot and see what the reaction was.It keeps getting longer! Chapter 9 has Unending Spoilers!
1. A Rose by Any Other Name

**A Rose by any Other Name**

**Just a short ficlet – Slice of Life in their Future – D/V with a nod to S/J, C/C and T/I. A/N: Not my usual type of fic. But it begged to be written, so I thought I'd toss it in the pot and see what the reaction was. **

**xxxxxx**

Entering the room, Vala went directly to him, sat on his lap - her mouth screwed up sideways, and waited. "Almost done with this part." Daniel scribbled a few more notes.

His hand went to her back and finally he looked at her. "Hey, what's up?"

"I don't want you to go."

"It's only three days. It's a diplomatic mission; I'm going for the final phase. I told you it's nothing. And you've been there. Remember you dubbed it THE most boring planet in the galaxy."

She was quiet and thoughtful and that was a bad sign.

The door burst open and a teary eyed three year old stood there, her little fairy wings were all lopsided, her dark hair a fright and her ethereal blue eyes shining sadly.

Vala held out her arms and the child crawled into her lap. "What is it, darling?"

"Jake took-ed my tiaria. And Danny's beaming him up."

"Beaming him?" Daniel asked, grinning.

"Yeah, Daddy, Danny is knocking the socks off him, and Jake's worming around using bad words. And then Danny called me a tattle tail 'cause I was crying and told 'em I was gonna go get mommie."

"Hmm, well we'll fix that." Vala set her on the floor, stood and took her tiny hand. Turning back at Daniel, Vala smiled. "I have an important mission myself."

"Need some help?"

"No. Go on and finish so we can have some time alone later." She kissed him sweetly and left with the little fairy.

_I spent months each time pouring over names and their meanings and she picks Daniel, Jake and Rose_. Daniel laughed and went back to his preparations.

xxxxxx

The two boys, nine year old Danny and seven year old Jake were locked in a scuffle in the back yard.

"That's enough!" Vala, Rose in hand, stood over her hellion boys.

Danny shoved Jake off and looked up at his mother before furrowing his brows at Rose. "Holy jumpin' scissors, Darlin', we told you we were just playin'."

"Daniel Nicholas Jackson, you are spending way too much time with Cameron Mitchell's boys!"

Jake, nearly the same size as his older brother, stood, brushed off his pants and took the tiara off the nearby patio table. "Here, Darling, I fixed it. You had the prongs all twisted, that's why it kept falling out of your hair."

"There. See, darling, they only wanted to help." Vala turned back to the two boys, "Stop calling your sister, darling."

"Silly, mommie, that's my real name, I was name-ed after Daddy, 'cause his name is Darling too." Rose perched herself on a patio chair.

Rolling her eyes, Vala dug around in the small plastic purple backpack on the table. She removed the plastic hairdryer, the plastic lipstick, the old ratty, stained stuffed giraffe (which she gave a quick kiss to), the plastic case of real eye shadow, an old curling iron Daniel had cut the cord off of, a wad of hair clips, a few Barbie doll shoes and a lump of jelly beans until she reached the well used baby brush lying on the bottom. "What was the fight about?" Vala asked as she began to brush the mass of dark hair and set the tiara - just right - on top of Rose's head.

"Danny said there's no such thing as an archeological, theoretical astrophysical, Jaffa, fighter pilot." Jake had his hands on his hips and his brows scrunched up in a glare at his brother.

"Well. Just because the title does not exist… hey, wait a minute… what have I told you about using terms like Jaffa?" Vala, hands on hips, glared at the threesome who now stood side by side, hands on hips, in front of her.

"Jez, mom, nobody thinks anything of it, they just think it's one of geeky Jake's made up words." Danny's scowl looked remarkably like his father's even though with black hair and steel gray eyes he looked more like her.

"Don't call your brother geeky."

"It's okay, mom, it's not a bad term nowadays, it's like super smart and clever and all the girls love a geeky guy." Jake, a mirror image of his father, grinned.

Vala let out a dreamy sigh. "That's understandable. Listen you guys, we need to have a meeting."

The kids nodded in unison and followed Vala into the center of the yard. Laying on their backs, heads butted up to each other they formed their four point star and quietly studied the clouds. "I have a bit of a dilemma." Vala finally said.

"What's a 'lemma mommie?"

"It's like having something important to do and having two ways to do it and not knowing which way is best."

"Whadeber." Little Rose sighed.

"Well, let's hear it." Danny's voice, sounding old and wise made her grin even larger.

"You know your father is leaving in the morning."

The three were nodding their heads against the grass. "PRR-17R." Jake rattled off.

"Shh. You three are going to get me in a lot of trouble with the IOA." Vala closed her eyes and wished she'd learned to keep her mouth closed.

"Anyway?" Danny prompted her.

"Well, it's a very safe mission. We've already discussed that. The Castarians and all."

"They probably look like Cardacians." Jake commented, his imagination rampant.

"Cardacians. Who are they?" Vala frowned and rolled her head towards Jake.

"They're on Stah Twek." Rose supplied.

"Jake you are spending way to much time with Murray's boys."

"Teal'c." "T." "Muskuls." The three replied at once.

"Hmm, anyway, back to the business at hand."

"The 'lemma." Rose giggled.

"And you, darling, are spending way too much time with Auntie Sam."

"Go on." Danny suggested impatiently.

Vala took a deep breath and let it out, "Okay, I'm pregnant and I haven't told your father because I'm not sure I should send him off worrying or wait until he comes back."

"Again?" Danny sounded so much like Daniel, Vala laughed out loud.

"I hope it's not gonna be another girl. We have enough to deal with, with you two." Jake groaned.

"What's a pregerant?"

"I'm going to have a new baby, darling. I have one growing in my tummy right now, just like Danny, Jake and you did."

"Oh. Like Auntie Carolyn?" Rose said in wonder and delight. "I hope it's a baby bairy or a shark."

The other three laughed. "Fairy, Darling, a fairy." Danny corrected.

"Well, probably not, either. A fairy's wings would be too ticklish and a shark would probably bite." Vala looked up at the clouds and imagined another little fairy in her womb.

"My bestest friend Sharkie doesn't bite and she's a shark."

"Yes, well, that's because she's invisible."

Daniel stood at the office window looking out at the familiar scene in the back yard. The urge to join them was overwhelming, but he had to finish if he wanted anytime with them later. Smiling, he returned to his work.

"So, any thoughts?" Vala asked her committee of advisors.

"You should tell him." Danny said thoughtfully, "He'd be really, really mad when he gets home if you don't. I need a new bike and you know how he gets when he's mad."

"Hmm. I see."

"Well. He will worry, and this mission is really important. He needs his mind clear and on his task. You know how he gets when he's all befuddled and worrying." Rolling to his stomach, Jake propped his head in his hands.

"Yes, well, there is that." Vala turned and mirrored Jake's position.

Everyone remained quiet waiting on the little princess fairy to speak.

Rose moved to sit on Vala's back, legs straddling her, then trying to tie her mother's pigtails into a knot. "Maybe the bairy wings won't grow until she comes out. Daddy will need to know about the pregerant 'cause eider way, he's gonna be fwoning. Danny could get his bike while he's gone 'cause I got the cwedt card, I lifted it this morning 'cause Sharkie needs a new 'wimming pool."

Danny slapped both his cheeks as he rolled over, then elbows to ground and eyes wide he dropped his head to his chest. "Darlin', where do you pick this stuff up?"

Vala's face went blank and innocent. "So, I should tell him?"

She got two yes and one no.

"It's settled - two to one. You three need to be very good, go to bed on time and don't act all knowing and snarky. He'll know something is up. Alright?"

xxxxxx

After putting the children to bed, Daniel joined Vala in the kitchen. "They're awfully quiet tonight. You didn't tell them I was going off on some mission did you?" He gathered her in his arms and hugged her close not expecting an answer.

"Daniel," she began and was interrupted by the beep of his cell phone.

"It's Mitchell." He flipped the phone open and wandered into the dining room.

"Pfft," Vala turned back to loading the dishwasher. "That's all I need now." She slammed the machine door shut and hit the start button. The grinding noise startled her and turning she bit at her lip, then shrugged her shoulders and walked away.

He was on the phone a good five minutes before returning to the kitchen. "They're on their way," Daniel stopped the dishwasher cycle, shaking his head in frustration, "seems we hit a snag with the wording and we've got to start all over." He kissed her, rubbing her back as he held her close. "What did you do to the new dishwasher?"

Running her hands under his shirt, Vala shrugged again. "I suppose the same things wrong with this one that was wrong with the last one."

All he could do was nod and sigh, happy with the thought that he'd invested in GE. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, doesn't look like we're going to have much 'alone' time tonight."

"Well then - here you go…I'm pregnant."

It took a minute to sink in. He jumped back as if she had turned to molten lava. "Again!?"

"Yes, darling. It happens. Obviously you haven't lost your touch."

"I thought you said you were through?"

"You're not happy?"

"I'm ecstatic, I could go for a dozen, but you're the one who wanted to stop at three." He hugged her tight, kissed her eyes, both cheeks, then her mouth. "That's what the meeting in the yard was about?"

"Yes, I needed a little advice. You know. Tell him before or after sort of meeting."

"So it was unanimous?"

"Rose, who by the way thinks her real name is Darling, was a bit confused. She wants a winged fairy or a shark. But she had a good reason for me to tell you – which we won't discuss. Danny thinks I should tell you, too. Jake's a bit reluctant. He doesn't want you to worry."

Again, he kissed her and was interrupted by the door bell.

"That was fast." Vala pulled away with a frown.

"Yeah, they were just down the street." He kissed her nose and went to open the door.

Mitchell and Carolyn entered first, followed by Jack and Sam, then Teal'c and Ishta.

Vala came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "We'll the gangs all here, what'd you do, rent a bus?"

"Took an Air Force van from the mountain." Carolyn, who was nine months pregnant, hugged Vala then handed her a chocolate cake.

Both Sam and Jack hugged her next, and then Teal'c, as Ishta bowed with a shy smile. Ishta offered a bag of chips and dips.

Cam smacked a kiss right on Vala's mouth. "Yeah, seein' as how we leave early tomorrow we decided this was the only way any of us were gonna have time together for a few days. Since you opted to take a little time off, me, Teal'c and the General – the one that's not retired," Mitchell jerked a thumb at Sam, "are all taggin' along tomorrow." He headed for the fridge and put the beer in, followed by Jack, who stuffed his in beside Mitchell's.

"Where are all the kids?" Daniel led the group to sit around the large dining room table.

"My parents are in town to stay with Carolyn, just in case."

"Ours are with Ry'ac and Kar'yn, I will accompany Teal'c and the others." Ishta relaxed a bit and took the seat that Daniel offered, next to him.

Vala smiled at Sam. "I know where yours is."

"Yes, I never thought I'd be the type to send my child off to a military summer camp."

"Yeah, but the brat insisted. We must have argued for a month. You ever argue with a ten year old? I'm too old for this - I must be the oldest dad in the universe… no, I take that back, T holds that title." Jack smiled at Teal'c before going to retrieve one of the beers he'd just placed in the fridge.

Carolyn looked expectantly at Vala who nodded and smiled. "What's that all about?" Mitchell asked his wife.

"We're expecting." Vala beamed.

"Again! For cryin' out loud, Daniel, you trying to form your own future SG-1? Or god forbid, a six pack?" Jack handed Mitchell a beer and took a seat at the table.

"Apparently."

A delighted elfin squeak had all the heads at the table turning to the hallway. Being the only girl in the 'family' of friends, and the youngest, she was apple of everyone's eye. At the moment she appeared not a soul at the table had a thought of the mission.

Rose bounded into the room, fairy princess nightgown floating around her. She didn't know where to alight first. Finally, she went to Ishta, who she saw the least, and placed her sleepy head on Ishta's arm. "Ithda, I miss you."

"I too, miss you little one."

Next she went to Teal'c. "Muskuls, did you bring me a present?"

"I did indeed." He reached into his vest and pulled out a glittering Hallmark fairy that had the name Rose across the base and handed it to her.

Rose, ignoring the ribbon writing at the bottom, grinned wide toothed, shoulders to her ears and moved on to Sam. "Auntie Sam, mommie has a 'lemma and it might be a bairy or a shark."

"Oh, that could be fun." Sam leaned and placed a kiss on Rose's bow mouth.

"Come here, squirt." Jack lifted her to his lap and hugged her. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"I can't sleep, Sharkie keeps wiggling around in the bed. Danny and Jake had a fight today." She leaned close and whispered, "a nuther one mommie don't know about… Jake says he's named after you and Danny says Jake is named after granddaddy Jacek."

"I'm sure it's me, Rose." Jack whispered back.

"My name is Darling, Uncle Jack." She placed a tiny hand on each of his cheeks and kissed him, hopping down and moving on to Carolyn.

"Oh. Sorry, Darling." Jack laughed and both Daniel and Vala rolled their eyes.

Placing her dark head against Carolyn's large belly, Rose smiled and listened intently. "Yup… it's a gurl. We can name her Rose, 'cause I'm not using that one anymore." Rose kissed Carolyn's tummy and went to hug Cam.

"Cammie?"

"What Darlin'?"

"Peas don't have no more boys. Mommie says they're all a bunch of hell onions."

Vala put a hand up in defense, "I was including mine as well, and Muscle's little Jaffa's, no insult intended."

Mitchell grinned. "None taken. Your right, they are all hell-onions!"

Rose walked right passed Vala and crawled into Daniel's lap. "We have a lot of work to do, sweetheart, I'll take you to bed."

"Daddy, Sharkie wan's a sleep alone tonight, can I sleep with you and mommie?"

"Sure, but we won't be sleeping much tonight… ah I mean… you know, we have to work. It'll be late before we come to bed." Daniel blushed as the others snickered around him.

"Whadeber." With a roll of her eyes and a soft sigh, Rose placed her head on his chest and fell asleep instantly.

xxxxxx

A/N: Dedicated to Katie Bug, who had an imaginary shark best friend often referred to as 'Sharkie' and still to this day, at twenty six, has a fascination with sharks.


	2. Rose is red, the other two blue

A Rose by Any Other Name

**Chapter Two: Rose is Red, The Other Two are Blue, What the Hell is Jack Gonna Do?**

xxxxxx

Vala woke up, feeling a bit queasy, to find Rose staring wide eyed at her from Daniel's side of the bed.

"Where's daddy?"

"He's at work darling, go back to sleep."

"Nope, I peeped in the owfice and looked-ed in the kitchen."

Vala checked the time. "Did Danny fix you breakfast?"

"Yep, where's daddy?"

"Working out of town." Vala closed her eyes thankful for Danny and felt a small cool hand on her cheek.

"Jake says daddy is wooking on a stah in a glaxie fah fah away."

Vala's eyes popped open. "Did he?"

"Yep."

The cell phone on the bedside table beeped. With a defeated sigh, Vala rolled over and answered. When the conversation ended she got up, picked up Rose and dashed into the living room where the two boys were playing video games. "Get dressed!"

Both boys jumped. "Mom, what's happened?" Danny questioned, concerned.

"Carolyn's in labor. Get dressed, and get Rose dressed. Go!" She hit one on the speed dial.

"I'm not Woes, I'm…"

Danny was shutting down the game while Jake grabbed Rose's hand, "Come on Darling, we gotta get ready." They all stopped when they heard who their mother was talking to.

"Jack?"

"Hey, what's up?"

"Carolyn. She's in labor; I'm her stand in coach. Can you come stay with the kids?"

He grinned when he heard the excited, rowdy voices cheering in the background. "I'm on my way."

xxxxxx

The kids were in the back yard, safe and sound, and Jack was watching a hockey game with a chilled beer in his hand. Vala had called - Carolyn was doing well, but it might be a while. The base was trying to reach Mitchell without success, but they were due to check in, in about twenty minutes. He put his feet on the coffee table and settled back for an easy day. A wailing scream shot him right out of his comfort and heart stopped and horror crawling up his spine, Jack made a mad dash for the back yard.

Rose was crying and screaming at the same time while Danny and Jake stood stone still and stricken. "What the hell happened?!" He snatched little Rose up, patting her back and waiting for the boys to answer.

"She fell outta the swing, Uncle Jack. We were clear across the yard." Danny's eyes were wide with fear, and Jake was starting to tear up.

"Come on sweetheart. It's okay." Jack rubbed the back of her head feeling for bumps. "Where's it hurt, Rose?"

"Dah…," hiccup, Dah…," gasp, "Dahling." She corrected before returning to screech mode.

Relaxing a bit, Jack laughed. "Where does it hurt, Darling?"

"I…," hiccup, "I hurded my awm and," hiccup, "my six. I flew oudda the swing."

"Come on, we'll go in and check you out. You're gonna be fine. Come on in boys, let's get Rose…ah, I mean Darling taken care of." The boys looked worse than Rose, who was smiling now between little crying hiccups.

"Daddy told you not to swing so high, you'd give him a heart attack. You gave me one." Danny scolded in a trembling voice.

Once in the house, Jack instructed Danny to get a cool wet cloth and sent Jake for the first aid kit. Rose had a few minor scratches on her elbows, but nothing appeared to be broken, and like Vala, she squirmed and was ready to go back outside.

With the cool washcloth, Jack washed her face while Rose resisted, twisting her head to escape the cloth. "Hold still, will ya? I just wanna wash your face."

Jake set the First Aid kit on the table and waited for the verdict.

"I don't want one of doze Band aids, I want the fairy ones." Rose started crying all over again and Jack held his hands over his ears.

"I'll get 'em Darling, they're in the kitchen." Danny came back with an empty band aid tin. "Uh oh." He said backing up when Rose started wailing louder.

"For cryin' out loud!" Both Jake and Jack said at the same time.

"We'll get you some more." Jack, at a loss, kept patting her back.

"We can get a bunch of 'em cause I got the cwedit cawd." Rose's tears continued to run unheeded down her little chubby cheeks. "And we can get Danny's bike and Jake wans a basketball and sharkie needs her 'wimming pool." She sniffed and grinned happily.

"You have a credit card?" Jack was astounded.

"It's Daddy's." Danny supplied.

"She lifted it." Jake explained.

"You lifted Daniel's credit card! Like mother like daughter."

"He don't need it in oudda space, they only use naqua." Rose explained assuredly.

"Naquadah!" Both Jake and Danny corrected.

"Where do you kids get this stuff? Nevermind, don't answer that. You need to play inside for a while where I can keep and eye on you. You got a nuclear reactor back there somewhere? Because if you do, I want to know about it now." Jack put Rose down and shooed them all off. "I'm gonna have a nice long talk with your mother when she gets back." He said it low, not intending them to hear.

"Won't help, Daddy's been tryin' that for years." Danny hollered from down the hall.

xxxxxx

Vala squeezed Carolyn's hand.

"He's not going to be happy about this!" Gritting teeth and labored breathed, Carolyn looked up at her father.

Landry smiled. "Not my fault. I'm retired. General O'Neill talked him into it. She's pretty insistent when she puts her mind to it, besides; you told him you had at least two or maybe three weeks left."

"Well I thought I did!"

Vala patted Carolyn's hand. "So last night you were listing possible names, girl names and boy names. Have you picked one of each, since you insist on not knowing the sex?" Vala attempted to change the subject.

"Don't change the subject… ow!" Carolyn grimaced against the pain of the contractions. "They're slowing down. But they're still strong. I can't see the monitors. Where's that damned doctor? Lot of good she is! Find my chart; I need to know what's going on."

Landry and Vala exchanged knowing looks. "I'm going to go check with the base and see if they heard from Mitchell. Out of all the men on that base you had to pick the hot shot pilot!"

"We're not having this conversation again." Carolyn frowned at her father.

Holding up his hands he nodded. "Right. I'll be back."

After Landry left, Carolyn smiled up at Vala. "He's crazy about Cam. They go off on camping trips all the time. He just likes to tease me. Help me sit up. This is going to take a while."

xxxxxx

Jack tried to get back to watching the game, but he couldn't relax. Intermittently he'd walk down the hall and check on the kids. Rose was painting, Jake and Danny playing some video game, all quiet and calm. He walked back to the kitchen, opted for a soda instead of a beer, just in case they managed to blow the house up and he had to talk to the police. Damn, his nerves were still on edge.

By the time he settled once again in front of the TV, it started raining, followed shortly by thunder and lightening. Within a few minutes the lights flickered, and the TV went out momentarily, before the next boom shut the electricity down. He turned expecting the threesome to run into the room. No one appeared. With a cock of his head he listened intently. Giggling and laughter came from the back and he breathed a sigh of relief as he wandered down the hall. "Hey." At the door to the boy's room, Jack leaned against the doorframe.

Jake and Danny were painting on a large sheet of paper in the semi darkness and Rose was digging through the boy's toy box. "Hey Uncle Jack, wanna paint with us?" Danny looked up with a wide grin.

"Maybe later, I'll see if I can rustle up some kind of lunch." Hands in pockets as he returned to the kitchen, Jack fleetingly wished he'd had more kids.

The electricity returned just as he entered the kitchen. All was well in the Jackson household. Leaning a hip against the counter, Jack dialed Vala's cell phone. "What'cha ya doing?" He asked.

"Well, I was napping, Carolyn's asleep. How are you doing?"

"All's quiet. Rose fell out of the swing, but she's fine. Gave us all a scare. I don't suppose there's anymore fairy band aids around the house?"

Vala laughed. "Yes, they're in the top of the kitchen cabinet over the fridge. Four boxes. Just give her a box."

"A whole box?"

"Yes. And there's a 'booboo' tiara up there. Give her that as well. She'll be healed in no time."

"Okay. Let me know when the little squirt arrives."

"I will. Jack is it raining there?"

"Yeah."

"Let them play in the garage. We cleaned it out and made it child friendly. You can let them loose in there. They'll be fine."

"Thanks."

xxxxxx

Lunch consisted of fruity cereal for Rose, who had at least ten fairy band aids on her, none of which covered a scratch, and the tiara perched precariously on her head. Jake opted for left over baked chicken, grapes, pork and beans right out of the can and nearly an entire bag of potato chips. Danny made scrambled eggs, ham and toast for himself and Jack.

Following lunch Rose napped and the boys watched a soccer match with Jack as the rain continued its downpour. By the time Rose woke up, she'd forgot all about her injury and was dancing around in front of the TV blocking the best shots of the football game the other three were trying to watch. Eventually the kids got bored and headed to the garage to play. Vala finally called reporting on Carolyn with more detailed information than he cared to hear about dilation and childbirth. But Mitchell was on his way back and she'd call when she knew something.

xxxxxx

Jack had checked on the kids less than an hour ago, they were riding bicycles and a tricycle in circles in the garage. He went back to the TV and settled in. The rain continued steadily, making him sleepy. He drifted off into a cat nap.

He woke up to Rose's signature scream and was on his feet and running. Jerking the garage door open expecting some mangled bicycle accident Jack stopped, mouth falling open.

Danny and Jake were comforting Rose. Red Rose. Red from head to toe Rose. Red Rose with the red tiara in her tiny hands. "Dey…" more wailing "…reded my tiaria…"

The two blue boys turned to Jack, whites of their wide eyes emphasized by the head to toe blue paint. They wore some type of antennae on their heads. Jack rushed to the paint cans, picked one up and dialed the poison hot line he'd long ago entered in his phone. "Completely non-toxic, you're sure? Alright. Thanks." He slapped the phone closed and glowered at the boys.

"Jake wanted to be Andorian and Darlin' wanted to be the green woman, but we don't have green so we used the red instead. We didn't know she didn't want the tiara red." Danny explained as though it were just your average incident.

Jack was at a loss for words. He managed to take his attention from the bizarre group before him and read the label. Good. Soap and water. "Come on, we're going to play in the rain. Don't go through the house, use the garage back door." They all perked up at the mention of playing in the rain. Jack grabbed an empty bucket, and followed his little aliens out into the back yard.

"Alright, start rubbing that stuff off, I'll go get some suds. And stay right in front of the glass doors where I can keep an eye on you!" In the kitchen Jack filled up the bucket with soap and water, and snatched the dish scrubby from the sink.

"Hey."

Jack sloshed a bit of watery suds on the floor when he jumped, startled by Vala.

"Oh, hey, you're home early." He swallowed loudly.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Sort of. Mitchell show up?"

"Just in time." Vala smiled looking at the pail of suds.

"Girl or boy?"

"Boy."

"Damn, I can't keep up with one."

"Where are they?"

"Huh?"

"My children, Jack. Where are they?"

"Oh…umm, Daniel come back?"

"No."

"Sam?"

"No." Vala looked around. As her mouth fell open and her head slowly turned towards him, Jack's head slowly turned to the sliding glass doors. Rose was pressed against the glass smiling happily, covered in red paint. Danny and Jake, as blue as a summer sky, were both waving, their Andorian antenna bobbing to and fro.

"Where'd they get the paint?!" Vala rushed to the door and little Rose pressed her lips in a kiss through the glass.

"In the garage, I thought you said it was child friendly."

"Daniel!" Vala turned back, a scowl on her face.

"Daniel what?"

"Damn. Daniel bought it a few days before he left."

"Damn Daniel. It's all his fault. I called the paint company and the poison hotline, it's non toxic, just have to scrub it off with soap and water. I was coming in for suds."

"We always buy the Natural Paints brand. Daniel's very eco friendly." Vala noticed the rough kitchen scrubby in Jack's hand. "You weren't thinking of using that on my children!?"

"Sure I was, I'll be gentle…promise, but I can't get the stuff off of them. Is Daniel due back early? Because if he is I'm leaving this task for him."

"No." Vala had to put a hand over her mouth a moment holding in the laughter. "You better get to it. I don't have the strength." She looked out the window with a delightful grin watching her children dancing in the rain, blue and red water dripping off of them. Placing a hand on her abdomen, Vala shook her head and raised her eyes to Jack. "I'm sorry I took you away from your quiet day home alone. But I could use a nap. Thank you, Jack."

Jack's hand hesitated a moment on the door. "Thank you, Vala. I miss him since he went off to camp and her being off…world. This is just what I needed." Jack slid the door closed behind him as the kids took off screaming and running in three different directions from the scrubby wielding Uncle Jack.


	3. Training Wheels For Future SG Team

**A Rose by Any Other Name**

**Chapter Three: Training Wheels for a Future SG Team**

**xxxxxx**

"Alright, everyone listen up." Vala had her little team lined up by the front door. "We are going to the Mitchell's. We will NOT be putting our dirty hands all over baby Benjamin. We will NOT be hanging all over Auntie Carolyn. Understood?"

The troop nodded in compliance.

"Mommie?" Rose fluffed her newest fairy dress, smiling delightfully.

"Yes, darling?"

"Can I holded the baby?"

"Probably not. But we will see." Vala grinned at her husband who picked up Rose and carried her towards the car.

"Daddy?"

"What honey?"

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation at the 'Honey' and sighed. "I can holded a baby. I got stwang awms." She flexed her tiny muscle.

Daniel kissed her temple and hugged her close. "You'll get to hold him sometime, sweetheart. Maybe not today."

xxxxxx

After putting the kids to bed later that evening Daniel and Vala relaxed in a hot bubble bath as candle light flickered around them. Daniel was chuckling and Vala turned her head looking back at him.

"What is so funny?"

"That kid! He sure can scream his tiny head off. He's such a mini Mitchell, looks just like him when he gets all mad about something." Daniel's hand moved low on her stomach and rested there. "So what are you going to name this one? Petunia?"

Vala splashed soapy water at him. "I don't know, maybe Murray if it's a boy or...stop that!" She swatted at this hand grinning back at him. He took her jaw and kissed her fully.

Little Rose Jackson carried the old stuffed giraffe, its neck locked tightly in the crock of her elbow. Barefoot she silently tiptoed towards the tub fascinated as the bubbles sloshed out. "Mommie?"

The couple jumped apart. Vala sat straight up as Daniel slapped the side of his face, and dropped his head grateful for the bubbles.

"Darling, what are you doing up this time of night?" Vala stood, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body, looking back at her husband who was peeping at her through one open and squinting eye.

"I'm tersty."

"Alright, I'll get you a drink of water." At the door she turned with an apologetic smile.

He was looking at her with a pained expression. "Go on. I'll be dead by the time you get back. Don't worry about me."

It took her thirty minutes to get Rose back to sleep. Daniel was in bed apparently asleep so she quietly undressed and slipped under the covers.

"I think I love you more today then yesterday." He whispered pulling her halfway on top of him.

"Really? And why is that?"

"Your long term plan started many years ago to drive me wild by insisting on producing your own army of insurgents to keep me on my toes is actually working."

"I love you, Daniel."

"Mmm, love you too," he murmured sleepily, his lips against her forehead.

xxxxxx

Vala dropped the boys off at school the following morning, waving at Cam as he pulled off and she and Rose hit the mall for a few hours, picked up lunch and headed to Carolyn's.

"Benjamin asleep?" Vala asked carrying lunch into the kitchen, Rose in tow.

"Finally! He's been crabby all day." Carolyn rested, feet up on pillows on the couch in the living room.

"Darling why don't you go play in the den with the boy's toys? I'm sure they will be delighted to hear you've been in there meddling." As Rose scampered off, Vala turned back to Carolyn. "Where's Cameron? Didn't he take family leave?" Vala unloaded the food and gathered plates and utensils.

"He did. He just left, got a call from base and had to check in."

Vala looked across into the living room. "What's up?"

"Who knows?" Carolyn shrugged. "It's always something. Being second in command of the base does not have any true rewards. He didn't seem to mind having to leave either. I think he's over poopie diapers already."

"Hmm, probably something important like playing basketball with Daniel. Cameron knew I was coming over today." Vala handed a plate to Carolyn, checked on Rose and then settled with her lunch on a chair next to the couch.

"Rose not eating?"

"She ate at the mall… oh that reminds me I found Benjamin an outfit with fighter planes all over it."

xxxxxx

Vala was waiting outside the school at 1540 hours when she got the call.

"I'm headed off world with Mitchell. I'm on my way to the Gateroom now. Sam'll fill you in later. I love you, Vala."

"Daniel? What's wrong? What's happened?" Where are you going?"

"Kiss the kids for me and tell them I love them. Vala, I love you."

She heard the kawoosh of the 'Gate and he ended the call. The minute the boys were buckled up she turned the car around and headed back to Carolyn's, dialing Sam frantically, but Sam didn't pick up and Vala had to leave a message. Her eyes lifted to the back and she could see the boy's worried frowns. She tried to calm down. Her phone rang and she took a deep breath. It was Carolyn.

"Vala?" Carolyn's voice was anxious.

"I got a call…"

"Can you pick up the boys at school?"

"Sure. And we'll be right there."

xxxxxx

Once she got Mitchell's two boys into the vehicle and buckled up Vala headed out.

"Mommie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Awr you sad?"

"No darling. We're going back to Auntie Carolyn's to visit with baby Benjamin, won't that be fun?"

"I lub him." Rose giggled. Vala's eyes cut again to the rearview mirror where the four boys were huddled in the back whispering.

xxxxxx

It was Reynolds who called, "Vala, Sam asked me to call. She's in a meeting with the President…"

"Where are they?" She cut him off.

"On the Pytheas. Two Jaffa motherships were destroyed near RK4-3R3 one had an SG team on it. We weren't able to find a Stargate there so they took the ship. We don't know anything yet. Mitchell, Daniel and Lt. Bowser, along with SG-8 are on the Pytheas, Teal'c's in route to meet them. They haven't arrived yet, so nothing to report. Sam will try to call later."

"It must be bad if they sent SG-1, the only time we go…well it's bad. Why's JoJo going?"

"Bowser was assigned as your replacement, she insisted on tagging along. You know her. I tried to talk one of them into letting me go instead, but Mitchell's ready to kick some butt he's so mad, and Daniel…well he went too. What intel we did get reported a few post-Goa'uld occupied villages… with lots of old ruins, he wanted to check it out. No matter how many times ya tell him there's thirty Goa'uld experts – including Bowser who knows as much Goa'uld, Asgard, Nox as anyone on the planet…well you know - he just has to be the one! Look I have to call Carolyn, and …"

"I'm at Carolyn's, I'll fill her in."

"Okay, gotta go. I'm trying to keep things together here with Mitchell gone and Sam in meetings."

xxxxxx

Vala struggled to keep things in routine at home that evening. Jack had dropped off Eli for the night on his way to SGC promising Vala he'd keep her posted.

Rose scooped up a handful of bubbles in the tub. "Mommie, is Daddy outta town wooking again?"

"Yes he is." Unable to keep the sadness from her voice Vala tried to smile.

"Is it dangerous?" Danny asked from the doorway.

Vala looked up and knew the boys could see the fear in her eyes. "No." she lied, "of course not."

Eli O'Neill read the fear in her eyes easily. "My dad said they'd be fine, Mrs. J."

"I'm sure they will." Vala nodded and forced a smile. "Why don't you boys go and get ready for bed. You can play on the computer a while or watch TV. It's Friday night. So I suppose you can stay up late."

Rose had put a pile of bubbles atop her head, one on each cheek and one on her chin. "Mommie, can I sleep with you?"

"Yes, darling, that would be very nice tonight."

"Is Uncle Cam outta town with Daddy?"

"Yes, he and Muscles are with Daddy." Vala rinsed the suds from Rose's hair. The child lay trusting and happy in her hands and Vala had to bite her lip to keep the sob inside.

"And 'tenant JoJo?"

"And Lieutenant JoJo." Wrapping Rose in a towel Vala lifted her from the tub and kissed her small pink lips.

"She's nice. She's helping cause your pregerant. JoJo promised to me to keep Daddy safe. Don't cry Mommie." Her little hands held each side of Vala's cheeks.

xxxxxx

"I'm in." Eli sat back as Jake and Danny leaned forward to study the computer screen.

"You hacked into SGC's computer. How'd you do that?" Danny continued to stare at the computer in awe.

"Good gene's. Now let me see what I can find out." Eli started searching the data banks.

"Won't they notice you're in there? We could get in a lot of trouble. I mean its gotta be the most guarded site on the planet…and then some."

"Nope. I got some of my mom's codes. I don't think they'll notice. Besides, this is your parent's access point. It shouldn't send up any red flags."

It was well after midnight and both Danny and Jake kept a nervous eye on their parent's bedroom door for a long time. Eli dug deeper into the SGC system. Finally the three huddled closer to the screen reading the information. It was so quiet in the room that all three flinched when the door squeaked open slowly. Eli minimized the site and pulled up an Anime site he'd had waiting. Jake's eyes went round and Danny swallowed the lump of fear in this throat.

Rose peeped out into the living room, her dark hair tousled and eyes squinting sleepily. All three boys sat up relieved and then put a finger to their lips and stared at the elfin figure silently tiptoeing towards them.

"Mom asleep?" Danny whispered.

Rose nodded.

"You sure?" Jake questioned for reassurance.

Nodding emphatically, Rose frowned. Danny lifted her into his lap. "Be real quiet Darling."

Eli brought the screen back to the report they had been reading and again the three boys jumped in surprise when a dialog box sprung up. _Vala, what the hell are you doing?-Jack_

Danny went big eyed and turned to Eli, then Jake. Eli began to type, _Checking things out for myself, darling, since you didn't bother to call me - Vala_

_There's not much to report - Jack_

_That's not exactly what the report says - Vala_

_How the hell did you get in here? - Jack_

"Ah, what should I say?" Eli turned to Danny who leaned across and typed, _Sam taught me_ - _Vala_

_That figures. Stop worrying. They're all fine. There's no technology on the planet other than the beam that struck the ships. We haven't located a Stargate. Sam said the beam looked OLD Asgard. Probably some protective device. Most likely in response to the Motherships and the few Jaffa still carrying a symbiote. The team's going down in a jumper in about an hour. I'll let you know something when we do, probably be a while, so don't worry. Close this down before you get in trouble - Jack_

Eli quickly cut and pasted the script, and then sat back with a worried expression.

_Who was on the ship?- Vala_ It was Jake who typed the question.

There was a delay to the response as if Jack was paused in thought. _SG-14 –Jack_

_Don't call me – email me…I don't want the kids to hear this – Vala. _Eli fired back with a plan.

_Right, how's Eli? – Jack_

_Good. Fine. Great. What a wonderful kid! - Vala_

_The best. Get off here now - Jack._

The dialog box closed and the three boys sighed in relief.

"Now what are we going to do?" Danny looked down at Rose sleeping in his arms.

"I'm hacking into my dad's email, editing the information and emailing it to your mom. Then we have got to make a lot of noise and wake her up, get her to read her email and everything should be fine."

"We could call her cell phone, and say something like one of the staff and tell her Uncle Jack's busy, but he sent her an email."

"Good plan Jake, I sure hope we're all on the same SG team when we grow up! We're the best!" Eli executed his email plan.

"What about the caller ID?" Danny said putting sleeping Rose on the couch.

"Oh. Right." Eli had a troubled look on his face and the three sat at the dinning room table trying to solve their latest dilemma. "I'll have to disable the caller ID on her phone."

Jake and Danny shared worried expressions and Danny whispered in an undisguised voice of fear. "It's in her room with her. We'll have to get it."

"I can do it." Jake stood up proudly and tiptoed towards the bedroom.

Hand trembling, Jake reached for the door knob.

"Wait!"

Jake froze at Danny's low but emphatic word. "I've got an idea." He went towards the couch. "Jake you be ready, the minute Mom comes out that door you rush in and get the phone. Danny woke up Rose, who came straight up with a shrieking cry. Jake plastered himself against the wall and they waited with baited breath.


	4. Madhouse

**A Rose by Any Other Name**

**Chapter Four: A Madhouse**

xxxxxx

With operation Cell Phone a big success, Vala and Rose sound asleep again, the boys went to work on executing the remainder of their plan then went off to bed feeling satisfied that 1. They'd successfully altered the phone 2. They had their next assignments mapped out and 3. SG1 was probably safe, at least for now.

The following morning Jake carefully carried the tray with a cup of coffee and a bowl of sloshing cereal into the bedroom. Setting the tray precariously on the night stand, he held it steady with one hand and placed the phone back where it had been with the other one.

He looked back at the door and nodded to the three standing there. Danny took Rose off and Eli gave Jake the thumbs up signal and dashed off.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"I brought you breakfast."

Vala rolled over and pushed herself up with a smile. "Where's Rose?"

"Danny and Eli are getting her dressed."

Jake placed the tray across his mother's lap and grinned nervously. When the cell phone rang he looked at it with trepidation - staring wide eyed.

Taking the phone in hand Vala didn't even look at the screen. "Vala." She answered flipping the phone open. "What? I can't hear you." She looked at Jake, "Something's wrong with the phone."

"Oh." Jake looked away.

"What, who? Sergeant who? Email? Yes. Thank you Sergeant." She ended the call and studied the phone perplexed then smiled up at Jake. "You brought me breakfast in bed." Setting the tray aside she started to get up, "I have to check my email."

"I'll bring you your lap top, Mom, just relax."

xxxxxx

The puddle jumper came to a quiet landing in a clearing about three clicks east of the village and two clicks west from the obelisk where the beam originated.

"Okay kids, here's how it's gonna play. Me, Daniel and Teal'c are heading for the village, Bowser and Colonel Brock are going for the obelisk, Lt. Spencer and Major Whitman will stay with the jumper. Heads up - weapons primed guys."

Spencer and Whitman didn't look too happy being stuck on guard duty, while JoJo Bowser and SG-8's CO, Rachel Brock, all but scampered off towards the obelisk.

Just before they reached the village, SG1 found themselves surrounded by club, axe and pitchfork wielding villagers.

"You're so good at this, Mitchell, you'll go down in SGC history as the CO with the most captures by pick axe, good job!" Daniel chuckled, stepped forward and recited the age old 'peaceful explores' bit in rote.

After five languages the villagers continued to stare without answers, other than the word Jaffa.

Daniel and Mitchell both held out their hands emphatically shaking their heads and trying every No they could come up with. The mob inched towards them, fear in their eyes. Finally, Teal'c lifted his T-shirt to reveal the closed pouch and he smiled and bowed. Murmurs went around the group as they backed off a bit.

The mob leader stepped forward as the others stepped back. "You say you come in peace? Who is this Jaffa without a symbiote? What is your purpose here?"

Mitchell recited the long ago freed Jaffa speech, the death of the System Lords bit, and the we're from planet Earth rhetoric. That got them some awed responses, although the farm tools raised as the mob surrounded SG1.

"Just like old times." Mitchell grinned at the hulking men behind them. A poke with a pitchfork in his back got him stumbling forward with Teal'c and Daniel right behind him.

xxxxxx

Complete confusion covered Vala's face as she reread the last line of the latest email. …_and_ _after that little incident last night Sam said she did NOT teach you, however she was quite impressed - Jack._

_What incident? – Vala_

An hour later she got the reply. _Ha ha. Ya know if you wanted to keep it a big secret you shouldn't have used your own computer to hack into the base's - Jack_

_Oh, that incident. Right – Vala. _Vala wandered down the hall to the boy's room and stood leaning on the door frame, arms crossed. Rose was on the floor rubbing Play Dough into the rug, the boys playing some computerized game.

"Eli?"

All three looked up and the guilt and fear in their eyes confirmed her suspicion. "Do you think you can fix my phone?"

Relief was evident as a smiling Eli came forward and took the cell phone from Vala. "Sure Mrs. J, I can fix it."

"I'm sure you can, how'd you do it?"

Only Eli's eyes lifted from reprogramming the cell phone. "I…ah…I just disabled the caller ID, I …ah…I was practicing. I'm really sorry, I meant to fix it back. Really."

"Not the phone, how did you manage to hack into the base?"

Jake and Danny ducked their heads and pretend to continue their game as Eli sat dejected on the side of the bed. "We had to know, Mrs. J, really we did."

"Will you please stop calling me that? My name is Vala. Can you do it again?"

"What!?"

"Don't say it like that, you sound like Jack."

"Sorry, here, the phone's all fixed."

"Can you?"

"I think they changed the codes."

"And."

"And it could take a while, but I think I know what to do, we might need Ian."

"Ian?"

"Yeah, he's got some codes of his dads."

"Mitchell's codes? Good. Can we keep your father from tracing it back to us?"

"We could use his laptop. It's at the house. I could tell him I need some stuff for the weekend and go and get it."

"Danny, get Rose, Jake, get her bag ready and a sippy cup of juice, maybe some animal crackers and don't forget the wipes. I'll meet you at the door in five minutes. I'll call Carolyn and see if the boys can stay here tonight. Her mother's there. I'm sure they'd appreciate the peace and quiet."

When Vala left, Eli turned to Danny and Jake. "You're mom is so cool!"

xxxxxx

When Daniel was returned to the locked room after being questioned he shook his head in amazement. "Holy…" He muttered trailing off.

"Damn it, Jackson, quit doin' that!"

"What?"

"Sayin' 'holy' then never finishin' it. You're drivin' me nuts." Mitchell paced insistently.

"You don't do confinement well do you Mitchell?"

"He does not." Teal'c commented and turned away casually resting his hands behind his back.

Daniel and Mitchell exchanged rolled eyes and head shakes then Daniel continued. "They know nothing about any beam, any technology, any weapons. The older ones told stories of a ring that brought the old evil gods but no one has seen it and they consider it a myth. They all can recite the Jaffa stories of murder and mayhem, but it's been years since any have been here. However, one old woman mentioned Astria Porta and the tale of benevolent gods burying it."

"A missing Stargate, ancient Asgard technology, a Mothership destroying beam and a bunch of pitchforks. Nice planet. How about us? Any idea what they plan on doin'?"

"Not a clue." Daniel sat on a rickety chair, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

xxxxxx

Colonel Brock scanned the surrounding area, weapon at ready, while Lt. Bowser studied the obelisk. "We've got something here. Something big. I know what happened." JoJo shook her finger at the stone structure. "I've seen this before. Well, not actually seen one but I've read about it. But this one's a twofer."

"Twofer?" Rachel turned around and frowned at the Lieutenant.

"Yeah. It has a defensive mechanism, but it's also programmed to extract Jaffa or Goa'uld and trap them somewhere, Labyrinth I think. I need to talk to Daniel. He'd remember from an SG1 mission long time ago. This is great. I think our team and the Jaffa might still be alive." JoJo hit the com button.

xxxxxx

Teal'c moved to the door of the room listening intently.

"I heard that. It's the radio." Mitchell moved beside the Jaffa, followed by Daniel and all three pressed an ear to the door.

"It is Lt. Bowser, she is reporting something to DanielJackson."

Mitchell repeated what he heard. "Obelisk is…, Alive…, I can't make it out. Teal'c?"

"Thor's Hammer, extraction mechanism, and something about the destructive beam." Teal'c commented turning to Daniel.

"Thor's Hammer! Holy … buckets." Daniel began beating on the door and yelling for their axe wielding guard.

It took nearly twenty minutes for the town counsel to show up, fifty minutes to convince them of what they knew and to get themselves released, sixteen minutes to talk them into releasing SG-14 and the most of the Jaffa crew, an hour and twenty minutes to free the Jaffa from the labyrinth, ten minutes to drag Lt. Bowser away from her study of the obelisk, and thirty minutes to locate the buried Stargate that was not buried, but surrounded by a shield, taking twenty more minutes to free it up, ten more to get a crew on the jumper, and ten seconds to punch in an IDC code.

Ah, at last they were home to much back slapping and congratulations. Mitchell dialed Carolyn immediately, but Daniel opted to surprise Vala and left hastily.

xxxxxx

Rose was napping on the couch when Daniel came into the quiet room. Sitting by her he smoothed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. Her eyes popped open and she appeared to be just short of squalling when she set her sight on her father. Rose bounded up and into his arms. Picking her up, Daniel hugged her burying his head in the small crook of her neck. He felt her tiny hands patting him on the back and it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Hey, Darling. Where's mom and the boys?"

"Hacking up the computa with Eli, Dwake and Ian."

"What?" He drew back and grinned at his mischievous and often difficult to understand little fairy daughter.

"Eli and Ian are hacking Uncle Jack's computa on your bed. Mommie says they're the best damned little spies in the whole world, including the …pega…pegur…the peggy galaxica."

"Pegasus?"

"Yep. Dat's it." Rose hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. "I miss-ed you daddy."

"I missed you too, Darling." With Rose perched on one hip Daniel approached the bedroom door trying to figure out the information Rose had scrambled.

"No, not the data base, try to get into your dad's or mom's email, there might be something there." Vala's nervousness was apparent to Daniel who stood in the open door way.

"Mrs. J…ah, Ms. Vala, I think we can get more up to date data with …." Eli was interrupted by Vala's anxious chatter.

"Eli! The emails! And Cameron's too, and check for any…There! There, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. They've been captured! JoJo's found… Eli! Bring that back up; why'd you close it?" Vala was nearly in a panic and didn't even notice when Danny and Jake flew off the bed. Eli O'Neill and Ian Mitchell just stared at the man in the doorway, and Drake Mitchell leaned closer to the screen trying to find the site Eli had just closed while Vala stared in tears at the computer.

"Daddy!" Both Danny and Jake cried out nearly knocking him down as they rushed to hug him.

"Yes, yes, I'm trying to find out more about him. I'm sure he's fine, really. He has to be fine." Vala sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Eli…" Vala turned to find the boy and practically fainted at the sight of Daniel standing in the doorway with his children draped around him.

Hands steepled over her nose and mouth Vala sobbed, tears running at full blast. She couldn't move. He was here. Her Daniel was here!

Putting Rose down, Daniel cocked his head indicating for everyone to clear out. They scampered away quickly. Daniel closed and locked the door and Vala was still frozen to her spot as he slowly approached her.

In the kitchen, Danny searched for food, "We're in trouble."

Jake pouted miserably. "Big trouble.

Drake turned to Ian for confirmation. "Like killin' big trouble?"

"Oh yeah, big trouble, right Eli?" Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

"Yeah, sureyabetcha we are. Honkin' big trouble. We're dead."

Rose stood in the middle of the kitchen grinning from ear to ear, "Can I have a peanut butter, jelly and ice cream samich?"


	5. A Rose with Thorn

Previously on A Rose By Any Other Name:-- _Hands steepled over her nose and mouth Vala sobbed, tears running at full blast. She couldn't move. He was here. Her Daniel was here!_

_Putting Rose down, Daniel cocked his head indicating for everyone to clear out. They scampered away quickly. Daniel closed and locked the door and Vala was still frozen to her spot as he slowly approached her. _

_In the kitchen, Danny searched for food, "We're in trouble."_

_Jake pouted miserably. "Big trouble. _

_Drake turned to Ian for confirmation. "Like killin' big trouble?"_

"_Oh yeah, big trouble, right Eli?" Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the counter._

"_Yeah, sureyabetcha we are. Honkin' big trouble. We're dead."_

_Rose stood in the middle of the kitchen grinning from ear to ear, "Can I have a peanut butter, jelly and ice cream samich?" _

xxxxxx

**Chapter Five: A Rose with Thorn**

"Where are you going?"

Vala sprang from the bed avoiding his attempt to catch her.

"I'm checking on the children Daniel, you've had me locked in this room for hours! I have to be sure that Sam's brainiac 'Chucky' hasn't got some Naquadah powered reactor hooked up to the oven," Vala straightened her tousled hair as she approached the door, "and to insure that Mitchell's two Einstein's haven't reprogrammed the vacuum cleaner to suck us all into a black hole. Then, darling, I have to see that our own devil spawned -you not me- hoodlums haven't turned into flesh eating robots! And poor little Rose," she cried out in earnest, "she's been out there for hours with the technobabbled, child Master Minds from hell! They probably have her internal organs replaced with motorcycle parts by now!"

"You going out there like that?" Sitting up, Daniel placed his hands behind his head and grinned wickedly.

Looking down Vala bit at the side of her lip as one eye squinted up at him. She grimaced, marched across the other side of the room, opened a bureau drawer, snatched out one of his many black T-shirts, slipped it over her head and shimmied into a pair of his boxers. "There, be right back."

"C'mere."

"Daniel, you're insatiable! I'm exhausted! I'm starving, I'm eating for two now, I need substance! Besides, I HAVE to see about Rose."

"Jack and Sam will be here in an hour to pick up the whole lot of them, until then the boys will take care of Rose. Come. Here." He held up an Air Force issue power bar.

Vala's grin rivaled his and she leapt onto the bed.

xxxxxx

"I think I've eradicated all the evidence. They'll never be able to prove it! Well, hopefully…I think I might have overwritten one of mom's programs, maybe not." Eli O'Neill was bobbing his head up and down in an effort to assure himself he had indeed completed his task correctly.

Behind him Danny and Jake exchanged worried looks with Ian and Drake Mitchell. None of them had heard a peep out of a parent, except when Cam had called to check in with his two boys on returning and Sam called with a quick hello to Eli. But no one had scolded them, threatened them, or yelled at them. Odd.

Perched high atop the back of the coach, tiara affixed perfectly in the midst of her dark peanut butter smeared hair, Little Rose aimed her game control towards the TV monitor across the room. With a chocolate crusted lip caught in a gesture of concentration between her tiny teeth and eyebrows furrowed in 'Vala' fashion, she slaughtered the last of Drake's alien invaders so fast that he jumped up with a loud yelp and a "Holy Crap!"

"What!?" The other four boys said in unison and turned as one to see what could possibly be wrong.

"Darlin' killed me! They're all dead, the planet is captured, the fleet is destroyed, the Ogre beheaded- she…" he jabbed a pointed finger towards a giggling Rose, "she's made it to the end. Nobody makes it to the end!"

The five of them stood around the couch in a semicircle and stared disbelievingly at the little fairy that, with wings drooping and dress stained in a variety of food and drink, grinned triumphantly.

"Well it had to be an accident!" Danny insisted.

"Nuh uh. Mommie showeded me and I 'membered." Rose raised her chin defiantly. Tossing the control onto the couch, she jumped down, bounced a few times playfully on the cushions and bounded to the floor. "I'm hungy!"

Looking around the room at the litter of empty plates and bowls, crumpled snack packages and half full sippy cups the boys seemed astonished.

"Darling, my mom said don't eat too much, they're taking us all out to eat. We'll get you something then." Eli patted her head, then stepped back wide eyed as she opened her mouth and wailed in earsplitting tear producing horror.

Vala appeared almost instantaneously, wrapped in Daniel's robe, hair disarrayed wildly, and looking like a zombie from some monster flick.

Rose spotted her target, dropped to the floor and turned it up a notch.

Daniel, having taken a moment to get into pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, emerged from the bedroom obviously disgruntled. "Hey! You guys are in enough trouble, what have you done to Rose?"

Amidst the crying and screaming, Rose began to kick and though seemingly impossible - got louder, "Dahlin'!" She corrected, gasping for air.

Daniel, the more indulgent of the parents started for her, but Vala, having surveyed the evidence of debris in the room, grabbed his waistband and stopped him.

"Darling, that's enough." Vala then scowled at Danny, then Jake and finally turned her scolding countenance on the other three. "You should know better than to feed her junk!"

Rose might have been considered a baby by her parents, but the toddler knew that tone all to well and she sat up hiccupping and drying her tears. After all she'd accomplished what she wanted, getting her parents attention, so she managed an innocent smile. Eyes darting from one parent to another, the little scamp simply and sweetly said, "Daddy."

The five boys – each in their own way – rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Eli turned back to the computer and took a seat mumbling under his breath, "ever consider an online parenting class?"

Daniel was too occupied comforting his little darling, but Vala turned to Eli, "What did you say?"

With a well practiced, wide eyed, innocent 'Samantha Carter' look Eli shrugged his shoulders.

Hands on hips, Vala started to press for an answer when the doorbell rang. "Humph! Now we'll see about parenting!"

Eli O'Neill's face went from "Samantha Carter' innocent to 'Jack O'Neill' doomed confusion.

xxxxxx

Jack had Rose settled on his hip, intermittently hazarding a glance at the peanut butter and chocolate mess that she was, as he barked out orders to the boys to gather their belongings for the trip to the cabin. "Come on. Lots to do. We have to meet Ishta and T at the base to pick up little Thorn and Bray."

"Yea! Bray! Yes! Yippee! Sweet!" The boys chorused excitedly.

"You're taking ALL of them! Maybe Rose should stay here with us, she's so young. I think I should keep her here, besides she needs a bath." Vala's uneasiness was apparent in her voice.

"Teal'c and Ishta are staying with us, no need to worry. Ishta and I can watch Thorn and Rose, Jack and Teal'c can handle the boys." With a meaningful glower at the boys, Sam continued, "they have plans for them."

Every set of male eyes under the age of thirty closed in dread. Sam gathered the boys like a sheep dog, herding them up and scurrying them out the door. Laughing she turned to Vala. "Stop worrying, you need a break. The second story's finished on the cabin, there's lots of room. Cam and Carolyn won't be coming up, but you two will be there the day after tomorrow, so all will be well. We've been planning this for months."

As the troop loaded up into the multi-passenger van Sam had 'borrowed' from the base, Vala turned to Daniel, "I think we should go on up with them."

"They'll be fine. Don't worry. This is probably the only break we're gonna get before the baby's born." He kissed her nose and shut the front door. "Nothing to worry about."

xxxxxx

Ten tiny fingers covered her pink bow shaped mouth. "Uh oh…you broke-ed it." Both Rose and Thorn looked at the remote control, eyes wide and serious, then as one, turned their heads towards the kitchen and then slowly back to face each other.

Thorn, looking as solemn as his oldest brother Ry'ac, tucked the contraption in his tunic and Rose nodded. The three year olds, who shared the same birthday, quietly tiptoed out of the room.

Softly, one small foot at a time, both with a finger of silence across their lips, they moved up the staircase. Finger firmly affixed to his lips Thorn whispered, "No pwobum, EliO'Neill can fixer upperer!"

"Humph!" Rose rolled her eyes, her mouth finger pressing hard in instruction to be quiet.

An eyebrow rose, "Darling?"

On the landing Rose turned and stomped a foot, "Dang it Thown, be shhhh."

"Mummie will be dispeased."

"Uncle Jack will take us on da tour of da woods with the boys." Rose raised one brow, dropped the other, eye squinting with a twitch…conveying to her companion just how much they did not want to be a part of that.

Like any smart Jaffa confronted with such Mal Doran wisdom he nodded in compliance. Better to face the stern parental disappointment from Teal'c and Ishta then to face Uncle Jack in the woods.

"Rose!?" Sam yelled.

"Thorn?" Ishta called.

"What!" they both answered as one.

"Get washed up for dinner." Auntie Sam called back. Sam looked at Ishta, "Sometimes I think those two were born in the same pod."

It took Ishta a moment to assimilate the meaning, but finally she nodded with a smile.

xxxxxx

Rushing down the stairs as fast as short cubby legs allowed Rose and Thorn headed towards the back deck. Thorn took a detour, dropping the 'fixed' remote into the couch cushions, then joined his comrade at the door.

Both Teal'c and Jack did a double take and surprised look at Rose and Thorn. "Well, Darling, I guess I've never seen that before. But it sure looks cute. Auntie Sam get those for you?"

"Nope."

"Hmm, Daniel? Because we sure know Vala didn't get them."

"Nope."

"I made them, do they displease you O'Neill?" Ishta asked quietly.

"Hell no! Don't think I've ever seen fairy wings coming out the back of itsy bitsy Camo BDU's but it works for me."

"I thought it would be best to save her … other clothing, they did not seem to be suited to this environment. However, I did have to make an adjustment for the wings, I had not considered their importance at the time I fashioned the clothing."

"Good job, Ishta, they are both adorable," then with a grin Jack added, "No wings for Thorn?"

"I suggested horns, however Ishta did not find it particularly amusing," Teal'c smiled, tugging at Thorn's BDU waistband to straighten the pants. Then Teal'c did a very human gesture, patted his son's six affectionately and sent him in the direction Rose had just scampered.

With hands clasped behind his back and brow raised Teal'c turned to Jack. "I believe, O'Neill, we have a project to complete."

"That we do T. That we do." Jack planted a quick, well aimed kiss on Sam's lips. "We're takin' the yellow brick road."

"Where are the boys?" Both Ishta and Sam asked with concern.

Jack pointed out the window, past the two toddlers on the deck who were emulating gun play with sticks aimed at the row of six who stood in a firing squad line near the forest across the yard. Eli stood slouching bravely, Bray let his arms hang at his sides and stared ahead as if Kel'no'reeming, he had nothing to worry about, surely they had no idea he'd participated by supplying Eli with the programming language, Danny and Jake both had their heads down and hands in their pockets, Ian's arms were crossed, hands tucked under his armpits and Drake was grinning, anticipating the so called 'punishment' adventure that Uncle Jack would cook up.

Ishta took Teal'c's arm with just a glimmer of alarm in her eyes. "Husband, what do you plan?"

"A Tau'ri tradition – Snipe Hunting." Although Teal'c's features remained stoic, his eyes were bright with a mischievous grin.

A snort of laughter escaped Sam, "Oh no… you're going to lose them in the woods. Jack, really, not a good plan. They're children!"

"O'Neill has implanted a tracking device in each of their shirt collars. We will be able to know where they are at all times."

Unimpressed, Sam's brows drew together, "Jaaack?"

Jack O'Neill, with innocent expression and twinkling eyes, called over his shoulder as he and Teal'c headed for the enemy line. "We're off to see the wizard!"

"Samantha?" Ishta asked as the two women stood looking at their spouses retreating backs. "I am worried."

xxxxxx

An hour later, having instructed the doomed in proper Snipe hunting and having led them far into the National Forest surrounding his cabin, Jack and Teal'c returned.

After grabbing a cold beer, snatching up Rose to sit on his lap, and easily finding the remote, Jack turned on the TV to watch his much anticipated favorite team's latest hockey game. The Cartoon network popped up and Rose giggled at the scene, but Jack quickly hit the button for the game station and the scene switched for less than a second as the Cartoon network reappeared. Rose giggled again, and Thorn clapped his hands gleefully.

Confused, Jack glared at the remote, cut his eyes perplexed to Teal'c and then back to the TV. Once again, very carefully and very slowly he punched in the channel numbers. Thorn laughed happily as Rose squealed in delight at the antics of the cartoon characters who, once again, appeared in a flash. As if possessed, Jack's head spun around to Teal'c, "What the…"

xxxxxx

Vala packed. Vala cried. Vala pleaded. And Vala called Cam stating her concerns as Daniel stood, head down and hands in his pockets, defeated.

Cam laughed uncontrollably, and so loudly Daniel could hear him easily from beside Vala. "It's not like the General's gonna use 'the Omega 13' on them! Gez, Vala, why don't you just go…poor Jackson won't be gettin' any peace – no pun intended princess – if you don't get up there soon!"

With a gasp, Vala slammed the phone down and turned to Daniel, eyes wild.

"Vala! Please stop worrying, you'll make yourself sick. We'll go! We may as well, Mitchell's right…in both respects."

xxxxxx

"Nothing." Bray mumbled disheartened when he returned from his recon of the surrounding woods with no news. He folded his legs under and sat. The evening was clear and crisp and the night birds and insects chirped all around the group of six. .

"We've been duped!" Eli tossed little rocks into the darkness. "But, I swear, the minute the stars get just right, I'll be able to find my hide out, nobody else knows it exists."

"I'm starvin'." Arms folded tight across his chest, Ian leaned against a tree.

"Me too!" Jake piped in miserably from his position flat out on the ground, his hands laced behind his head.

"We're the proverbial Lost Boys! They did it on purpose!" Daniel stared up at the stars frowning. "They figured," he paused to scratch at the irritating collar of his shirt, "they'd show us who's smart and who's in charge."

Drake grinned continuing to rub the stick between his palms against the one on the ground. "I like it. Alone in the woods. I've read all the files…well all the ones Dad let me… we're like SG-1! Stranded off world! Fending for ourselves. And I can guarantee ya, they have some way of knowing exactly where we are."

The other boys considered his words and nodded as their mood lightened up considerably.

Danny felt something hard in the material of his shirt collar. Pulling the neckline out he tried to see it, cutting his eyes are far as he could, "Hey, Eli, look at this will ya?"

Eli, his small keychain penlight in hand examined Danny's collar. "Something is in there." Letting go, Eli searched his own collar where it had been irritating him all afternoon. Quickly he unbuttoned the shirt and snatched it off. "Well I'll be… yep, they're tracking us." He picked at the threads of his collar and pulled the tiny chip out shinning the pin light on it. Looking up, he stood, moved forward and studied the stars. "I got MRE's and water at my hide out. I got a plan!"


	6. Beat Them at Their Own Game

**Chapter Six – Beat Them At Their Own Game**

xxxxxx

Jack, remote in hand, wandered nonchalantly into the kitchen where Sam, Teal'c and Ishta set quietly chatting.

Wine glass to lips Sam hesitated. Over the rim of the glass she watched him a moment as he stood there looking confused. "What?" She finally asked, setting the glass down and cocking her head in question.

"Could ya – ya know – look at this thing?" Somewhat reluctantly Jack put the remote on the kitchen bar carefully placing it right in front of where Sam sat.

"Tonight?" She looked at him with disapproval.

"I think the Naquadah Monster Child has ..."

The not so subtle scrap of her stool, the glare in her eyes and the fact that she'd come up off the stool at an alarming rate clued clueless Jack that he'd stepped over that fragile line with Sam. Quick to repair the implied he shouted, "Not ours! I swear Carter I would NEVER call your child – ah, damn it – our child... I was talking about Rose!"

"Rose is a baby Jack! She may be the only Jackson showing more than trace amounts of Naquadah, but she is by no means ..."

"Look at the goddamn remote! It's either possessed, Vala's mini me did it or Ishta's little… 'in your side' Jaffa zatted it! It was working just fine before and not one of the Meek Geeks dared to lay a hand on it! Look!" He pointed at the object, jabbing his finger repeatedly.

Ishta's head tilted to the right and her left brow rose. Teal'c's head went left and the right brow rose.

Both hands went up, he clinched his fists before going for crossing guard 'stop' as his arms went out to the side and then quickly returned to the front in a protective gesture. Jack tried to backtrack the last 'open mouth insert foot - never speak ill of the Jaffa' statement. "Oh, crap, I didn't mean that Thorn was actually…" he pointed to his side, eyes darting, "well… that he'd actually zat the thing...not that he couldn't if he wanted to... not that he would...he's not ... ah never mind, I better go check the tracking sensor."

xxxxxx

She'd insisted and he'd relented. Getting the rental car at the airport had been a nightmare. It was late and Daniel was tired and in a foul mood as he drove towards the cabin.

Vala, tall, pink and sparkly Disney Princess pen in hand, scribbled on an envelope she'd dug out from the bottom of her very large leather bag. "You know, Daniel, I CAN drive." She popped her gum loudly.

He clinched his jaw. "Uh hmm."

"Daniel, I need a new bag, I've had this old thing for over twelve years."

"Uh hmm," his eyes went wide with the effort to control himself.

Gum popped. She scrawled something on the paper, pen scratching in the quiet, the glow of the implement lending an eerie light inside the car. "I hope Rose is okay, you think she's okay don't you?" She blew out a bubble, popped it and continued on, "I can't believe I let her go. I should have kept her, shouldn't I? What kind of mother lets her three year old go off with Jack O'Neill? The 'IOA of Parenting' will, no doubt, come to my door and take her away. You really think she's okay? I mean, what if she wandered outside and got lost and no one even knows she's gone. Oh my gods! Daniel you don't..."

"VALA!" he snapped.

She burst into tears.

The car pulled off to the side of the road. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

One hand covered her eyes, while the other shot palm forward right into his face.

_Oh crap! _He took a deep breath and let it out. It was not a usual occurrence – Vala crying – he supposed that's why it wrenched his heart... he knew it was the one thing that had snapped him out of his stupor years ago. Smiling at the thought he placed his palm against hers, laced his fingers with hers. "Remember that day? The day you burst into tears, right there in the Gateroom? It was what changed the whole thing…the night you conceived Danny." His voice was soft and caressing.

Nodding her head she sniffled, "I'm such an emotional wreck right now!" Vala laced her fingers with his, squeezed his hand, let go and dried her tears. "Come on, darling, I'm anxious to see my children."

He nodded and pulled back onto the highway. "They'll be asleep."

"I can kiss them." Pop!

"We shouldn't wake them." A muscle in his jaw twitched as she continued to pop and smack her bubble gum.

Pop! Pop! "Well, Daniel, it's not like I'm the Wraith Queen come to feed on them, I merely meant to kiss their foreheads. Besides…."

His hands gripped the steering wheel and he tuned her out.

xxxxxx

"Something's not right." Once again Jack stood at the kitchen looking confused at the gadget in his hand.

"O'Neill." There was a note of caution in Teal'c's voice.

"No, T, the sensor. They haven't moved at all, not 10 feet. Nothing. You suppose they settled in already? It's barely dark."

Teal'c, obviously concerned, stood and moved towards Jack, with Sam and Ishta right behind him.

Sam took the sensor and examined it. "Nothing is wrong with the sensor Jack. They were probably tired, hungry, in the dark…alone and stopped where there were."

"Yeah, well Eli has a penlight." Jack commented absently, looking uneasy.

"Bray has his knife." Eyes cutting momentarily to Ishta, Teal'c frowned.

"They don't have any food."

"Or water, O'Neill."

"Yup. Suppose we should go and get them, huh?"

"Indeed."

With flashlights in hand and the tracking device activated, Teal'c and Jack walked across the yard into the dark silent night.

At the door, Sam watched, arms hugging herself as Ishta stood behind her. A deep sigh – a breath of relief - escaped Sam. "He can be such a stubborn ass, but he's a softy at heart."

Moving beside the other woman Ishta bowed slightly and uncharacteristically placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, "I believe that Teal'c has learned much of his...softer side...from O'Neill. They are both about to face the consequences of their actions. It will be interesting as to how they will proceed and who actually is receiving punishment."

"Mommie?" a half asleep, teary eyed Rose appeared.

"No, Darling, it's Auntie Sam and Auntie Ishta. Mommie will be here in the morning."

At first Rose began a sad little silent weep as tears flooded and rolled from her eyes. Thorn padded up beside her and his arm landed around her shoulder. "ist awwhite, Dawling I am heya, peas doan twy."

Then without further warning the screaming started, "Mommie!"

Sam and Ishta rushed forward to comfort Rose.

xxxxxx

Vala had one foot out of the car and on the ground when the first "Mommie" reached her ears. She leapt from the vehicle, cleared the porch steps in one bounding jump and pushing against the locked handle screamed back in terror, "Rose!"

"Mommie!"

"Rose! Darling!" Vala screamed like a banshee banging and pushing on the door as Daniel tried to calm her.

Sam jerked out of her shock and fumbled with the lock yelling through the door that everything was okay.

"MOOOOOMMMMMMIIIIIEEEEE!"

"Vala, please, can't you hear Sam? She's trying to unlock the door, nothings wro..."

"ROSE! DARLING!"

The door burst inward and Vala landed against the other wall. Daniel blinked, grinned at Sam, and shrugged his shoulders before he scooped up Rose and hugging Vala and the child as one he calmed them.

Thorn stood with a hand over each ear and both tiny brows raised. Sam had a hand to her heart and a wrist to her forehead while Ishta stood calm and stoic, "The child has very strong healthy lungs, DanielJackson, you should be proud."

"Oh. Yeah. Sure I am." With a weary sigh, Daniel kissed Rose's temple and pulled Vala tight to his side.

Thorn laced his fingers behind his back, "Embead."

xxxxxx

Six shirtless boys, charcoal painted tribal symbols on their foreheads, (looking remarkably Jaffa-ish), sat around the remnants of an old fire, eating MRE's.

"You think they know yet?" Drake questioned boredom evident in his tone.

"I know one thing, Mom's gonna have a cow when she finds out. I'm sure glad she's not here, not in her condition." Danny scratched at his mud and leaf decorated chest.

"Your mom will be fine. They won't even start lookin' until really late; when Uncle Jack figures out that we haven't moved." Ian was hacking off the material from the bottom of his pants – using Bray's knife. "They probably think we're still back at the clearing right where they left us."

"I agree. The technology they used will continue to send the signal from where we left the shirts." Bray grinned in the darkness as he charcoaled around his eyes in mask fashion.

"They're gonna be really mad now!" Jake stood up and began to pace.

Eli accepted the knife from Ian and began to sharpen his stick. "Like they weren't before? We won't mention we knew about the chips – we tell them we decided to play survivor-SG1! I'm sure they weren't planning on coming back until tomorrow anyway. They want to scare us, teach us a lesson." Shining the small light up into his own face, illuminating hair muddied in pointed spikes, Eli waggled his head, then turned the light on his comrades. "Jez Danny could ya put on something more then a loin cloth!"

"I really wanted a fire." Trying the bandanna he'd made from his own pants material around his head, Danny pounded his chest with his fists and let out a long and well practiced Tarzan yell.

"Pipe down!" Eli was grinning.

Bray finished wrapping himself in leaves and twigs tied with vine. "A fire is easy to spot."

"Right." Eli shined his small light up a nearby tree. "Okay, we need to get up to the tree house fort again. I got a pair of night goggles. If we're lucky we can see them coming!"

Once settled in the makeshift tree house Drake put on the night goggles. "I got first watch. I'll wake you in an hour."

"Good, I'm sleepy." Danny yawned.

"You're such a light weight Dannyboy!" Eli checked his illuminated watch, snapped the cover back in place and then slapped his friend on the back.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"STOP!" Bray demanded. "Now… what are we going to do?"

"Wait." Both Eli and Danny said at once.

xxxxxx

The men had been gone at least forty-five minutes before they checked in.

"What do you mean you can't find them?" Sam was on the Sat phone with Jack, walking the hall towards one of the guest room. "Not where you left them in the forest all alone? Humph!" Very softly she knocked on Daniel and Vala's door.

Slowly, the door opened and a wide awake Daniel peeked out. "They're both asleep," he whispered, "Hey, what's wrong." Sensing something, Daniel moved out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"It's Jack. They can't find the boys." Sam, eyes round with worry, handed the phone to Daniel. "He wants to talk to you." Biting her lip she followed Daniel all the way back down the hall, through the house and out onto the deck.

Daniel snapped the phone shut and looked across the yard, brows drawn in concentration. He wasn't much concerned, or afraid, he was curious - as was Jack and Teal'c, but to Sam he appeared troubled.

Sam placed a hand on his bicep "Daniel, what is it? What did he say?"

"Look Sam, please don't wake Vala, she's been stressed enough today. I'm going to get a few things from the car and Jack's truck, and then meet up with Teal'c and Jack."

"The boys have sensors, they were tagged!"

Swallowing and dropping his head to hide the grin Daniel confessed, "Ah, Jack found the boys shirts."

Sam covered her mouth and her eyes went wide with dread.

"They'll be fine." Daniel took off in search of the much needed equipment.

xxxxxx

"Bray!?" Teal'c's voice boomed into the stillness sending night creatures scurrying frantically in every direction.

Jack picked up one of the shirts. "Eli!? Danny!?" He called, then mumbled, "Damn little…."

Both Jack and Teal'c spun around reaching for non-existent weapons.

"Damn it Daniel!" Jack barked out.

Daniel, wearing jeans, a black T-shirt and his black utility vest, entered the clearing squinting against the light Teal'c pointed in his face. He yawned as he tossed the other vests to his waiting teammates and then tied his black bandanna around his head. "So…what's the situation?"

Donning a vest Jack replied drolly, "The situation is that the little smart asses most likely have the pair of night goggles I've been missing for a week now…"

"A knife," Teal'c interjected closing his vest and checking his supplies.

"… and a penlight, not sure what else. You call Mitchell?" Jack raised his flashlight into Daniel's face.

"Stop that, and yeah I called him, he's working on it."

"Let's move out." Jack took the lead with Daniel in the middle and Teal'c on the six. "I can see the headlines now, 'Retired Air Force General goes nuts and strangles six boys…he's acquitted by a jury of fathers!"

"Or perhaps, O'Neill, it will read 'Alien from outer space kills six…no kills five Earthling boys and one alien boy."

Jack laughed out loud, "nice one T."

"Thank you, O'Neill."

They moved along in silence for a while until Daniel offered, "Maybe it will be 'overprotective, geeky archeologist…"

"Spacemonkey."

"…spacemonkey kills retired general and alien in an effort to save six misguided but brilliant youngsters from annihilation."

"Yeah, well that one works too. But, for cryin' out loud, Daniel, we've got to get them to stop being so…so, Carterish."

"You are going in a circle, O'Neill."

"Well, we gotta look like we're looking while we wait to hear from …"

"Jackson!?" The radio beeped.

"Mitchell?" Daniel thumbed the button.

"Expecting someone else?" Cam's voice was coming through in a loud whisper.

"What?"

"I gotta talk low, don't wanna wake up the baby."

"Right."

"I got 'em!"

"Thank god."

"Thank Carolyn for insisting on puttin' that transponder chip in him when he broke his arm."

Grinning, Daniel listened to the coordinates and requested radio silence.

xxxxxx

Bray sat up instantly when Danny touched his shoulder and insisted, "Look."

Taking the goggles from Danny, Bray scanned the woods. "Oh, not fair!"

"What?" Eli's sleepy voice croaked out.

"Look."

The goggles passed to Eli. "Vests! And Uncle Daniel! Crap!"

Ian lifted his head, "Go back to sleep!"

"Look!" Eli, Bray and Danny said in unison. Both Ian and Drake popped up, wide awake now.

"Time for Plan B." Ian muttered miserably, tossing the night vision glasses to Drake.

"I love Plan B." Drake handed the goggles back to Ian.

"We know!" The other five chorused, exasperated.

xxxxxx

Shoulder to shoulder the three fathers headed for the boys.

"I'm thinking," Jack murmured quietly, "We should spread out a bit, like we're not going the right way, we'll use the radios if we have to, switch to hand signals when we can and move in from different directions. They might be taking turns staying awake and watching."

Teal'c pulled his night vision binoculars out, moved behind a tree and surreptitiously aimed them in the track of the coordinates. Daniel moved off to the left, and Jack to the right. "There is a structure in a tree. They must be up there." Teal'c pointed and the other two nodded in understanding.

Jack signaled for Teal'c to go left, after Daniel, as he moved further off to the right. It took them a good twenty minutes of cut backs and crisscrosses to finally reach their target.

Looking smug, Jack motioned the other two to join him at the base of the tree.

"Nice fort, you build that?" Daniel asked Jack as he looked up.

"Not me. He musta built the damn thing himself. Eli! Get your scrawny ass down here right now!"

"Hands up!" Eli demanded holding his sharpened stick to his fathers back.

"You too! Dr. Jackson." Danny poked Daniel with the penlight.

"No Jaffa tricks, Mister!" Ian instructed as both he and Bray held sticks to Teal'c's back.

"I love a good Plan!" Drake walked around the front of the three men. "Drop your weapons!"

"We don't have weapons." Jack frowned.

"Well, drop your fancy vests and radios and all the other crap!"

"Don't say crap!" Jack scolded.

"Yes sir, sorry, but drop it all anyway." Drake pointed across to Eli. "You, General O'Neill take their stuff."

"It's not STUFF Drake! For cryin' out loud."

"Well then what is it?"

"It's … it's…"

"Paraphernalia ?" Daniel offered.

"Para… heck no!" Eli said taking Daniel's offered vest and putting it on.

"Equipment?" Teal'c suggested.

"Nah." Danny took Teal'c's vest handing it off to Drake.

"Gear?" Jack recommended, tossing his vest to Bray.

"Yeah. That's it, Gear!" Eli poked his dad with the stick.

"Hey, get that damned stick outta my back!"

"MOVE!" Eli poked him again.

"Your mother is gonna wonder what happened to you when I bring you home."

"Right, yada, yada, yada… move soldier!"

"Airman!" Jack corrected indignant.

"What the hell have you got on?" Daniel asked getting a good look at Danny.

"Not much!" The other boys laughed out.

"I need my phone." The captured O'Neill said hands held high in the air as he was prodded along.

"No privileges for the enemy." Bray claimed loudly.

Jack turned, "Fine, you're the one that has to face Ishta, not me."

Bray felt around in the vest and found the satellite phone. "Cool phone. Five minutes."

"Three." Eli offered.

"Three minutes, mister!" Bray opened the phone, dialed the number and turned it to speaker holding it in front of Uncle Jack who reached for it, "Hands up!"

Rolling his eyes, Jack lifted his arms. "Ah, Sam?"

"Jack?" Sam's voice filled the night air.

"We found them, their fine; we'll be back for breakfast."

"Whaaat? Breakfast?"

"Yeah, we're just staying here tonight."

"Jack?"

That damned stick felt like a cats claw in his back. "I gotta go Carter. See ya tomorrow."

Hands held high the three men marched ahead, rumbling with laughter.

xxxxxx

Sitting on the deck drinking coffee the next morning, Ishta, Sam and Vala looked at the odd scene as their husbands, hands up in surrender, were prodded forward by boys who, to Sam, resembled the Nox, to Vala, resembled the Unas, and to Ishta, nothing she had ever witnessed before.

Rose's head gently leaned on Vala's barely protruding belly. "Da baby is talkin to me mommie, it's a gurl."

Thorn's brows rose in wonder and he put an ear to Vala's tummy.

"Is it, darling?" Vala did not take her eyes from the bizarre group approaching as she placed a gentle hand on each of the children's heads.

"Um hmm."

"And what is she saying?"

Very seriously little Rose listened. "She's sayin... I lub you Dahling and I can't wait to meet you."

"Embead."


	7. Silly Boys, Trucks Are For Girls

**Chapter Seven – Silly Boys, Trucks are for Girls**

**xxxxxx**

At 1915 hours the light in Dr. Lam's office was bright and cheery. Sam, Carolyn and Ishta sat around a small table.

"I am unsure of what this game is supposed to produce." Ishta pulled at the leather of her unlaced vest.

"Money." Carolyn said as Sam's answer, "A winner," followed quickly.

From outside the infirmary office they heard a cursing screech. Sam's head shot up and she came half out of her chair.

The doctor grinned. "Sit down."

Taking a deep breath, Sam settled back down, rolling her stiff neck, and tried to concentrate on her cards.

Ignoring the commotion, Ishta dropped several poker chips onto the pile. "I agree to your wager, SamanthaO'Neill, and I would request that you match my addition."

"Call and raise." Carolyn corrected then folded her poker hand, placing the cards aside. "I'm out."

"Call," Sam muttered, adding her chips and staring out the door towards the dimly lit area. "What movie did Teal'c show for you last night?" Sam turned her attention to Ishta to take her mind off of the couple in the other room.

Ishta placed her two cards on the table…a two and a seven, and Sam smashed her lips to keep from laughing as she laid down her pair and raked in the chips.

"The title was misleading… '_Bringing Up Baby'_, there were no babies – however, I believe the film to have been a representation of DanielJackson's and ValaMalDoran's early courtship." Ishta looked completely perplexed. "Teal'c insisted it had been recorded over sixty years ago, I suggested that perhaps something happened in the time dilation field he lived in – something that survived. He did not find that statement viable, what are your thoughts?"

"I…I…" Sam was spared from commenting further by another outcry and again she looked at Carolyn, "Don't you think you should go and check on them?"

"Believe me, when they need me they will let me know."

xxxxxx

"Do not speak to me! I know what I'm talking about! I've done this three times… well four, but that first one didn't count, but I think I get it better than you!" Vala huffed a moment, then grimaced as another contraction began.

"Vala…" There was a strange look to his eyes and a twitch to his lips that he tried to conceal.

She grabbed a handful of his shirt front, yanked once, bringing his body down until his face was mere inches from hers. Daniel burst out laughing.

Before she could find words to match her heated expression, Vala's eyes went way too wide and she let go of him. He didn't need an explanation, he called for Carolyn.

xxxxxx

Jack wrestled six boys, who at the time where piled atop him laughing uproariously. "Could ya give me a hand here?" His muffled plea went unheeded.

"What's that?" Cam, one hand on his hip, the other supporting Benjamin on the other hip, scrutinized the toy microphone Rose had pointed at Thorn's chest.

"A widdle gun." Rose, with fairy play-dress covered by her tiny BDU jacket, wings tattered, and a tiara that hung precariously from the side of her snarled hair, chewed on her lip.

"Ya gonna shot an unarmed man?"

"He has two awms." Rose insisted.

Cam laughed, "Well ya got me there." Baby Benjamin cooed at his father's voice.

Teal'c turned from studying the pile of arms and legs that covered Jack. "Thorn does not have a weapon, RoseDarling, that is the meaning of unarmed."

"He has a hand debice."

Thorn opened his hand to reveal the lump of red gum, with strings dangling at odd angles, that was affixed to his palm.

"I see. Your weapon is indeed appropriate."

Sputtering, Jack fought to sit up from the tangled mass of hellions. "We're all gonna end up doing time at Area 51! They know more then the newbies on base!" His reprieve was short lived as once again he was drowned under the screaming, laughing boys.

"Enough!" Jack yelled - which served to double the effort of his attackers.

Giggling, Rose dropped her weapon and dove onto the pile. She was quickly bucked off and landed on her six. Eyes glared until she spotted Uncle Cam's concerned look and her bottom lip began to tremble, quickly followed by a wide mouth short lived bellow.

"RoseDarling!" Teal'c's voice boomed and the child's eyes went wide, her mouth shut and she swallowed. "Behave." He finished gently.

Thorn stomped up beside Rose, shoving his gum laden palm towards her face, "Behave owr else."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Whateber!"

xxxxxx

Daniel's eyes, wide and full of wonder, studied the newborn. Tiny fists pressed against splotchy cheeks, eyes twitching to open, mouth puckered in a pout, and dark sandy hair sprouting every which way, the infant squeaked, and Daniel grinned.

"Daniel?" Vala's soft voice, sounding tired, still held a note of awe.

"Hmm?" His finger tracing a small circle on the baby's arm, Daniel's eyes lifted to Vala.

"Let me hold her, please, you've hogged her long enough."

Placing the newborn into her mother's arm, Daniel kissed Vala, then smoother the dark hair from her face, tucking a strand behind her ear. "I love you."

Grinning, Vala placed a hand gently on his cheek. "Yes, darling, you do."

With Carolyn's help, Vala situated the tiny mouth upon her breast. "Oh! She's taking right to it! She's so smart." Vala beamed proudly.

"Finally, another female child." Ishta stood shyly at the end of the bed, but her smile was warm.

"Yeah, we sorely needed that. Thanks Vala." Sam hugged Daniel. "And you too, daddy." Sam looked at Ishta. "Hopefully, with your delivery we can up or numbers more."

Ishta nodded. "Perhaps we will know soon, I have decided to investigate the sex of this child, with DoctorMitchell's help, SamanthaO'Neill."

"Sam." For ten years, Sam had tried to get Ishta to call her Sam, without success.

Smile widening on the Priestess' face, Ishta bowed her head. "Sam."

Both Carolyn and Sam looked surprised. Ishta, bowed once again. "And Carolyn."

Silence settled in the room. Daniel, hands deep in his pockets, felt the feminine energy like a physical manifestation. "Ah, I'll go call the guys and check on the kids."

No one answered him. The women only moved closer, Ishta coming to stand next to Carolyn. Sam perched her hip on the side of the bed, leaning forward for a better look.

xxxxxx

Daniel could hear the children laughing and screeching in the background.

"What is it with the whole not knowing what it is?" Jack raised his voice over the commotion behind him.

"Who knows? It's a cult."

"You got that right. Congratulations, Danny-boy, what are you …ah, Vala, naming this one?"

"I have no idea. I'm a little afraid to ask."

Jack laughed. "Okay, I'm gonna spread the news. Your kids are anxious to visit. Get the scoop and I'll bring them up there. We can sneak 'em in, I got Colonel Marks holding a pattern just itching to beam a herd of hoodlums anywhere I say."

xxxxxx

Rose knelt on the bed, playing with the infant's feet. "Cammie tolded me the baby is named-ed Pwincess."

"Did he now?"

"Yep."

Eyes barely clearing the edge of the mattress, Thorn peeked at the infant who lay on the bed between Vala's legs. Her little arms whirled around and she squeaked and grunted. "Pwinces is twying to talk to you, Dawling."

Scowling at Jack, Carolyn handed a med tray to the nurse.

"I had to bring him too, the boys were roughhousing." Jack shrugged.

"Where are Danny and Jake?" Vala grabbed Rose's finger before she poked the baby's eye out. "No touching, yet, Darling."

"Pfft! I washeded by hands, mommie."

"Yes, Darling, but we need to wait." She looked up again, waiting for Jack's explanation.

"The minute I told 'em it was a girl, they groaned and said they weren't interested, so I left them with T and Mitchell. Where's Daniel?"

"Going home to shower, and hopefully take a nap."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen. Come on you two. We need to get outta here before Auntie Carolyn blabs to Reynolds that we're holed up in here."

Tears pooling in her eyes, Rose stared at Vala. "Mommie, I don't wanna go. I wanna stay here with you and Pwincess."

Vala lifted the baby, cradling her. "I know. But you have to go. Daddy's home by now. He will miss you if you aren't there. We'll be home soon; Auntie Carolyn will let us go home later today. I'll be there to tuck you in at bedtime."

"Come, little one, I will stay with you." Ishta lifted Rose from the bed and took her hand. Thorn dashed around taking his mother's other hand, peering at Rose with a wide grin.

"What have you two got on your foreheads?" Carolyn moved closer to the toddlers.

"Eli painted us a Jaffa tattoo." Thorn beamed proudly.

Ishta leaned to study the drawing. "And what is it? I do not recognize that symbol."

"It's the twee house." Rose nodded, finger pointing, smearing the paint.

"Ah, I see."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Jack thumbed the radio. "Four to go."

Reynolds arrived just in time to see Jack wave as they disappeared.

"Funny, Jack." Grinning, Reynolds shook his head. "How're our patients?" He asked Carolyn, moving into the infirmary.

xxxxxx

The wind had kicked up a notch, blowing paper plates and napkins all over the yard. Squealing in delight, twenty month old, Benjamin Mitchell, with one year old Thea Jackson toddling precariously behind him, chased after the flying objects.

"Save the cake!" Jack yelled from far across the yard where he played catch with son Eli and Eli's best friend Danny Jackson.

Jack's fast ball landed with a thwack into the well used glove of Eli. Eli grinned at Danny. Behind them, Ian and Drake Mitchell watched, while Bray and Jake, reluctantly picked up debris.

Rose ran with the hug bubble ring, filling the area with sparkling, popping bubbles. "Daddy! Come on and catch the bubbles!"

Thorn popped bubbles as fast as he could, with his home made staff weapon.

Daniel looked up from his effort to cover the birthday cake, inadvertently smashing the large 'One' candle into the cake, while Cam groaned and shook his head.

In lounge chairs, Vala, Carolyn, Ishta and Sam, held up champagne glasses, laughing, as Teal'c poured more bubbly into the flutes.

xxxxxx

Rose settled behind the steering wheel, buckling her seat belt.

Vala grinned, teeth clamped and shoulders rising.

Rose mirrored her mother's gesture, then rubbed her palms gleefully, before tightening the bands on each pigtail. "Thanks mom. I love my new truck."

"Happy Birthday, Darling. Where are we going?"

Rose looked in the rearview mirror to the back seat where her twelve year old sister, Thea and Thea's best friend, and Thorn's eleven year old sister, Mala, primped. Then her eyes caught the wide grin of Thorn sitting between the two girls. Rose blushed and looked away quickly.

"Yeah, Darling, where are we going?" Thea chirped while Mala continued to put on her makeup.

"To show Uncle Cam and Aunt Carolyn."

"Good." Vala smiled. "Listen, maybe I should ride in the back with the girls and Thorn can ride up here."

"Oh…ah…yeah, that…that's fine." Rose blushed again as her mother and her best friend switched places.

Settled between the girls, Vala snatched the makeup from Mala. "You're too young! What would your parent's think?"

Shrugging, Mala, frowned. "They're offworld, they'll never know."

Vala could only laugh, Mala had turned into an Earthling to her parent's obvious distress. "Alright, Darling, we're settled. Where else are we going besides the Mitchell's?"

"To the mall, of course."

Thorn moaned, then lifted adoring eyes to Rose.

Vala rubbed her palms. "Great!"

Standing in the driveway, Daniel still held the large 'Sixteen' candle in one hand. The other hand was buried deep in his pocket.

"What were you thinking?" Danny, standing beside his father in black BDU's with an SG-1 patch, and Captain Bars, scowled.

"Not me."

The other three members of SG-1 stood flanking the opposite side of Daniel.

Major Eli O'Neill, CO, sighed. "For cryin' out loud, Jackson, what the hell else did you expect? You knew Captain Mitchell's dad had a hand in this!"

Captain Ian Mitchell, arms folded across his chest, grinned. "Yep. He did. He helped your mom pick it out."

With the United Jaffa symbol displayed in the same spot as his two friends Captain's Bars, Bray bowed his head slightly, a smile creeping across his face.

Daniel glanced behind him at the two Airmen, A1C's. Both Drake Mitchell, and his son, Jake, shrugged without comment. The truck moved away smoothly, and Daniel let out a sigh of relief. "Where's Ben?"

Ian looked back to the house. "He's on the porch sulking. He doesn't plan on ever being more than thirty feet close to Thea, again. She's already asked him to marry her ten times."

The SGC personnel laughed along with Daniel.

"So. Where are you guys off to?" Daniel turned back towards the house.

"We're escorting Major General Reynolds to the Pegasus Galaxy, and those two," Eli pointed to Drake and Jake, "are headed out with SG-8, to PTQ-R45."

Head dropping, Daniel stared at the candle in his hand. "Good. God Speed."

END… for a while


	8. Trouble in Paradise

A Rose By Any Other Name

Spacegypsy1

Chapter Eight – Trouble in Paradise

A/N: I know... it's been forever and a day since I posted anything for Rose - but I wrote this long ago and never posted it...so here it is if anyone is interested... Rose (D/Vs child) and Thorn (T/Is child) story, with a bit of D/V flashback. b

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh my god! Daniel!"

"What!? What's wrong"

"They're arguing again."

Daniel came to the window to stand beside his wife. Looking into the back yard he spotted Rose and Thorn, nose to nose, and obviously having a heated discussion.

"Vala. They're fighting. So what?"

"So? So have you EVER seen them arguing before the last two months?"

"No, can't say I have. It seems to have started when she came home from the Academy."

"And in the last two months they have bickered constantly."

"So."

"So he is always annoyed with her."

"Well, yeah, but she's always pestering him."

"And?"

"And what? OH! Holy shit! Their in love! Oh, this is bad. They are way too young."

"Exactly."

"Maybe we're overreacting."

"Open the window."

"Vala, that's spying."

"Daniel, open the damned window!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"And what, Thorn? You expect me to just take off and follow you around the universe while you do the Jaffa thing? You know I've planned on joining the SGC since I was old enough to spell it! S. G. C. !"

"Damn it, Rose!"

"Don't you dare call me Rose! What? You're too high and mighty with the Jaffa to call me Darling?"

"You're the High and Mighty one! You and your sexual innuendo! You're just like your mother!"

Slap! Right across his face. Rose glowered.

Daniel jerked when Thorn grabbed Rose's shoulders, yanking her forward. He spun around, but Vala halted his progress with a hand on his bicep.

"Daniel, stop, you can't!"

"That son of a bitch just…"

"Daniel? How many times did you snatch me up? Hmm?"

"It's not the same."

"Yes it is."

He took a deep breath. "Close the window or I'm going out there and beating the crap out of him."

"Oh, that I'd like to see!"

"Are you questioning my strength? You think that …"

"Well, of course I am, you dolt! Look at him, he's as big as Muscles! And much younger then when you met him!"

Daniel stood glaring with Vala. "You're a piece of work! I could take him."

"Phsss! You couldn't even take me when you were younger!" Vala yelled into his face.

"Oh so that's how it's gonna be! You think I was so lame I would have actually beaten up a woman!? You really don't know me!" Snatching his arm free of her hand, he stormed out of the bedroom.

Vala ran after him. "Oh, please, Daniel, surely you're not saying you were holding back!"

"You're damned straight I was!" He walked right out the front door.

"Where are you going?" Vala held the door open watching Daniel get into his car.

Thea came up behind her mother. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Your father!" Vala slammed the door and walked off.

"Mom!" Thea dashed after Vala.

Turning sharply with a glint in her eye, Vala confronted her youngest child. "Please tell me you and Benjamin are not dating!"

"Of course not. You and Dad have both demanded that I not date anyone."

"When did it ever matter what we said?"

"It's always mattered to me. Besides. Ben and I are just friends."

"Promise me you are not going to join the Air Force!"

"Heavens no! Both of us are planning on going to Med school. You know that. But…if I were dating, I would be dating Ben. And he's made it plan that when we do date, we will be dating each other. Get used to it. We've all grown up so close, it's going to be the way things go. Well except for the older guys. Lord knows, they'll never settle down."

"You're father's an idiot!" Vala slammed her bedroom door in Thea's face.

Thea scrunched her brows in concern. Though her parents bickered at times, she'd never seen them really mad at each other. Time of a family meeting! Thea marched Vala style into the back yard. "Okay, you two. We've got a problem. Darling, you call the boys, Thorn, you go. This is a family problem."

"I am family." Thorn set his jaw and stood his ground.

"Really?" Thea quirked a brow at Rose.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Rose flashed the large diamond ring on her finger. "Soon enough."

"Holy crap! Is that what their fighting about?"

"They don't know yet, and they're always bickering."

"Not like this. Dad just stormed out of the house and Mom's got that twitchy evil-eye look that she generally reserves for Danny and Jake."

"Oh, shit!" Rose sat on the swing.

"They were observing us from the window, RoseDarling." Hands clasped behind his back, and jaw twitching, Thorn looked towards the house.

Rose groaned. "Oh, shit."

"What!?" Thea took a seat on the swing next to Rose.

"I slapped him."

"I reacted. I pulled her forward."

"He snatched me forward. Roughly, he knows I like it!" Rose giggled. "We like to fight sometimes, keeps us on our toes, besides, he wants me to wait on applying for the Dad's old job!"

"You just graduated, Darling. You can't apply for head of the Archeology department."

"No, not yet, but there is a spot open on SG-3." Rose began to push the swing with a foot.

"I have asked RoseDarling to accompany me to Dakara where I will take my place on the Jaffa council. Bray, as you know, wishes to stay with SG-1." Thorn bowed his head slightly and began to pace, hands behind his back.

"Darling?" Thea prompted her sister for an answer.

"I'm thinking about it. But he knows I've always wanted to be on SG-3! It's been years since anything opened up on an SG team. It's not like the best spots come along everyday."

"I believe your father wished to beat the crap out of me and your mother has intervened. That is most likely why they are arguing. I will leave, find him and explain. I should have asked him for your hand in marriage!"

"Oh gods, Thorn! No one does that anymore." Stopping the swing, Rose stood. "Let's get mom out here. Danny and Jake are off world anyway. The four of us can figure this out."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Vala gasped when the ring flashed in her face. "Engaged!? You're both much too young!"

"Mom, don't be silly. We've practically been engaged our whole life." Rose took her mother's hand and led her towards the back yard. "Now, come on. We have to figure this out before it blows all to hell."

"You have potty mouth, young lady!" Tossing her hair, Vala frowned at her daughter.

"I learned from the best, mom. Come on. We've got to do this. You look awful! I've never seen you so sad."

"Hmph, you should have known me when I first arrived here. Horrible years, just horrible."

The foursome lay on the grass, heads together, bodies pointing out in four directions. Thorn was the first to speak.

"I will confront DanielJackson. It is the best course of action. Enlighten him on our…impending nuptials. Make clear my intentions. Try to explain I would not hurt RoseDarling. I am sure he misconstrued the actions he witnessed. I…"

"Enough, Jaffa!" Rose rolled over to her stomach. "We get it. I've never seen Dad really mad. He's always been so calm and sweet."

"Not always, Darling." Vala frowned. "And he didn't misconstrue anything. He's fuming because he's done it himself."

"Daddy? I can't imagine. And what did you mean by horrible years, Mom?"

"Nothing. But your father can…could be a bit of a…"

"What?" Thea came round, placing her elbows on the grass, chin in hand and face screwed up in dismay.

Thorn sat up, folded his legs and looked around at the Jackson women. "Tell us, for we have not known of his past actions. It would help to understand."

Vala closed her eyes and once again lay on her back, hands under her head. "It was always the same between us. For years. The day before we conceived Danny…"

"_I'm busy. Will you please get the hell out of my office? You're driving me nuts!" Daniel slammed the heavy book closed and glared at Vala._

"_Darling, I just wanted to see if this dress was okay for our dinner date."_

_Daniel looked up with a squinty-eyed scowl. "Too dressy. We are not going for a candle light dinner. We are not going to a four star restaurant. We are going for pizza. We are meeting the team. I begged you to ride with Sam. You insisted I take you. You make me so frustrated; I relented just to shut you up. Jeans. Wear jeans and none of those ridiculous high heels you parade around in. Now get out."_

_Vala blinked back the sting in her eyes. "Sometimes I hate you."_

"_Thank god, just hold on to that." He bit out unkindly, opened the book and continued to study it, ignoring her. From the corner of his eye he saw her leave._

_After a good five minutes, Daniel dropped his head with a sigh. What the hell made him treat her like that? It was always the same. Now he had to find her and apologize before she caused havoc all over the base. Before she broke his heart with those sad eyes. Before he made a complete fool of himself and just capitulated to her sultry wiles. Gods! He was so crazy about her and he couldn't do a thing about it. His life was a total mess and no relief in site._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_He couldn't find her anywhere so he wandered back to Sam's lab. "Do you know where she is?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Sam?"_

"_I don't know, Daniel." Displeasure was apparent in her voice._

"_Crap! I think I hurt her feelings." Daniel perched his six on the stool beside Sam._

"_No! Really? How could that be? Surely, you didn't do it on purpose?" Sam stood, snatching up her laptop and walking towards the door. _

"_Wait! Where are you going?" Daniel stood staring after her._

"_I wish somewhere you are not. But unfortunately we have a briefing. Right now. I don't have time for this today. And actually, I'm over the 'make Daniel feel better for being an ass' scenario." Sam turned towards him in the doorway. "You know, Daniel, this is way out of hand. When are you going to admit you're in love with her? I think you've been in love with her from the beginning. And frankly, we're all getting tired of your crap. If you don't want to admit how you feel the least you could do is be kind about your denial. She deserves better. Stop holding her back. Stop giving her mixed signals. Stop showing her you care until you get scared and back off. Let her go, so she can move on." She walked out without another word._

"_Move on?" Daniel mumbled, slammed his hands in his pockets, and returned to his office to gather his notes for the pre-mission briefing he was late for. _

_When he arrived Vala was missing from the table. "Where's Vala?"_

_General Landry looked up. "She volunteered to help Reynolds. Major Clark's father is in the hospital. They were one man shy and she's not necessarily needed on you're mission. _

"_Oh." Daniel took a seat feeling his team's eyes boring into the top of his head as he read the mission briefing before him. _

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_The first thing Daniel saw as he exited the Stargate down the ramp was Vala waiting. But her eyes were on everyone but him. _

"_Hey. I'm sorry…" He whispered, coming to stand beside her._

_She tossed her hair and looked away, back straight and head high. "Miss me?" She asked the others, eyes pooling with unshed tears._

"_Vala, please. We need to talk."_

_She looked at him, tears beginning to trickle down her face. "Talk? Ha! You mean, Daniel, you yell, I listen?"_

"_No. Please. I'm sorry." _

_Teal'c, followed closely by Sam and Mitchell, came up behind Vala in support._

_She swiped at the deluge of wetness that she couldn't stop. "Don't be. I'm not. I just need to stop pestering you. It's a habit, nothing more. I realize it's getting old. You don't want to play that game anymore. And it is just a game, Daniel. So don't be sorry. No need to talk. You know I feel the same way you do. We are teammates, sometimes friends. In the past, it was funny. I guess it's not anymore and I've decided to move on." _

_General Landry watched from the control room, confused. "SG-1?"_

_Mitchell looked up. "We're fine, sir."_

"_We'll debrief after your post-mission exam." Landry watched a moment more, noting Sam and Teal'c's nod, and Mitchell's grim features. Vala and Daniel were nose to nose, glaring at each other. Landry sighed and walked away. _

_Everyone but SG-1 had cleared the Gateroom. _

_Daniel took a second for a quick gaze upward to find the control room empty. "Look, guys," he told the rest of the team, "can I have a moment alone with…"_

"_Nope."_

"_Not a chance."_

"_That, DanielJackson, shall not occur."_

_Unable to hold back the tears, Vala cried openly, turning away to leave. _

_Daniel took her arm gently, pulling her close. "Vala." His hand came up to take her face, brushing at her tears. "I've…I've been an ass…"_

"_Right." Sam said, moving closer to Vala in case she needed to intercede. _

"_Yep." Cam crossed his arms defiantly and glared._

_Teal'c raised a brow. "Indeed."_

_Daniel, eyes squinted dangerously, mouth set in a hard line, looked at all three teammates. "Get out!"_

_Vala pulled back trying to break the hold he had on her, but Daniel held on. No one moved._

_With a loud gulp, Daniel continued in spite of his audience. "Okaaay. Vala. Er. I'm…well…I am in love with you. And…ah…I've been…well…trying to, sort of, discourage you. Because…I'm just not what you deserve. I don't do relationships well. I wouldn't give you the attention you need. I'd be working and ignoring you. I'd get caught up and hurt your feelings. And I'd hate that. I'd want you to be happy…"_

"_Daniel," Vala said with a tinge of reproach, "you've been hurting my feelings for years."_

"_Oh. Right. But I didn't mean to. Well, honestly, I guess I did. But with the best of intentions."_

"_Did you say you love me?" Looking up with misty eyes filled with wonder, Vala touched his cheek. _

_Daniel smiled. "Yes."_

"_And you weren't mean because you thought I didn't love you?"_

"_No."_

"_You were mean because you wanted me to stop loving you, because you aren't good enough for me? Is that right?"_

"_Yes."_

_Vala's hand left his cheek just far enough for momentum. It came back with a resounding slap. "You are an idiot! I can't believe what a coward you've been!" She roughly wiped at the remaining tears on her face._

_Cam almost cheered out loud. Sam was shocked, but grinned. Teal'c cocked a brow, but remained steadfast in his effort to remain calm. _

_Hand to his stinging cheek, Daniel blanched, stepping back. "Coward!?"_

_Vala marched off, arms swinging, back ramrod straight. "Yes! I've never heard such a ridiculous story in all my life. I can't wait for the chance to tell our children what a complete ass you were!"_

_Rushing out behind her Daniel called out, "I can't wait to tell them what a total freak you were!"_

_After a quick exchange of confused looks, the other three took off at a run to catch up. _

"_After you're done with the post-mission crap, we're going home!" Daniel demanded._

"_We are home!"_

"_Not anymore, we're not! I mean it, Vala! We're out of here."_

"_Over my dead body!"_

"_Fine! I'll just haul you off like I did on the Prometheus!"_

_She stopped, turning abruptly, and slamming her hands on her hips. "You wouldn't dare!"_

"_The hell I wouldn't!" He'd stopped and mimicked her hand slamming on hip gesture._

_Sam, Teal'c and Cam came to a quick halt behind them. _

"_This is just too good!" Cam grinned._

"_O'Neill will be displeased that he was not here."_

"_Oh, yeah. He'll sulk for days." Sam smiled at the thought. "I wonder what Daniel meant by 'hauling her off like on the Prometheus'?"_

_The three watched as Daniel wrapped an arm around Vala as they headed for the infirmary._

"_It wasn't in the report." Cam pointed a finger forward to get the remainder of his team on the move. "I'd remember that."_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Thorn glanced at Rose who sighed dreamily with a starry-eyed look at her mother.

"It's so romantic." Rose whispered, coming to sit close to Thorn.

Thea frowned, indignantly. "I just can't believe Daddy was such an…ass!"

"Well," Vala said, pushing herself up. "He hasn't been like that since then…"

"Until today." Daniel said, his shadow falling across Vala. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I guess I just got overprotective. I felt threatened." He looked at Thorn, nodding in apology.

Vala came into his arms and he kissed her with open passion.

"Oh, god!" Thea closed her eyes. "Are they ever going to stop that!?"

"Never." Daniel confessed letting go of his wife. He looked from Thea to Thorn and at last Rose who held up her hand, palm in front of her face, waggling her fingers at him.

"What the hell is that!?"

"Daniel, darling, calm down." Vala had her hand on her husband's chest.

"We're engaged, Daddy. Thorn and I are getting married. I'm off to Dakara … for a while…" she glanced at Thorn, her meaning clear, and he bowed in acceptance. "Then, after a few years I'm coming back and joining the SGC. I intend to be the CO of the entire Archeology department. That way I can be close so you and Mom can babysit."

"You're pregnant!?" Daniel took a threatening step towards Thorn, who took a cautious step back.

"Of course, not! But one day I will be. Don't you want grandchildren? God knows, your son's are far behind in the baby making scheme!"

"I need to sit down." Daniel took a seat on a swing.

Vala sat in his lap. "I want grandbabies!"

"Of course you do."

As Thorn and Rose took off out the back gate towards their car, Thea followed, turning towards her parents. "Me too, I want kids one day. I'm naming the first one Prometheus!" She scurried off with laughter before her father could yell at her.

"You told them?"

"Not everything. Just the highlights and the tossing me over the shoulder thingie."

Hands on her hips, Daniel pushed her up and stood.

When he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, Vala squealed in delight. "Are you ever going to stop this madness?"

"Never."

~NOT THE END


	9. The Telling of the Odyssey

A Rose By Any Other Name

Spacegypsy1

Chapter Nine: The Telling of the Odyssey

**Warning**: spoilers for Unending

A/N: This story seems to never end. No beta, sorry for the errors, please feel free to note them if they need fixing.

~0o0o0o~

Pacing, Vala chewed at her lip. "I can't stand this! I'm her mother, I should be in there!"

"Thorn's with her." Daniel said as if to convince himself all was well.

"She's been in labor nearly twelve hours!" Vala went into Daniel's arms.

Patting her back, he kissed her temple. "I don't think that's bad, sweetheart." Peering over her head, he looked worriedly at the others.

"I'll see if I can check with Carolyn. But you know she'll let us know…" before he finished Cam looked up to see his wife coming towards them.

Jake and Danny Jackson jumped up, coming to stand behind Daniel and Vala. Their sister, Thea, hand clasped tightly to Ben Mitchell's, tugged him forward. Eli O'Neill, still in BDU's from a recent mission looked at his father in concern. Jack nodded, and with a hand on Sam's back, waited.

Ian and Drake Mitchell watched their mother's face expectantly. Carolyn Lam Mitchell look worried.

Mala, bandana around her forehead to hide the Hak'tyl symbol she proudly wore, stood with an arm around her mother's waist, between Ishta and her oldest brother, Bray. She felt like crying, but stood stoic, as her mother had trained her. One day she would take over as leader of the Hak'tyl. She must be brave.

Ishta leaned over to whisper to Mala. "A strong warrior without emotion is a foolish warrior, Mala. You're namesake knew that. You need not be holding back at such a time."

Teal'c remained at the back of the room, hands clasped behind his back, jaw twitching with the effort to control his emotions.

Carolyn took a deep breath. "She's in trouble. No other way to say it. But nothing we haven't experienced before."

Vala gasped, covering her mouth, tears building.

"The baby is breach, but luckily, labor has slowed. We're working to turn the baby; we'll monitor them both closely. This could be a very long night. I'll come out when I can or send someone out intermittently with news."

"Can I see her?" Vala begged.

"As soon as you dry those tears, and put a smile on your face. She needs reassurance. When you're ready hit the call button and someone will let you in. Two minutes. Then Daniel two minutes." Carolyn hugged her friend. "She'll be fine, Vala. I have every confidence in the team. We'll make this right." Letting Vala go, Carolyn smiled wanly. "I need to get back."

Danny, Jake and Thea rushed after the doctor. "Can I go in?" Thea asked first, then Danny echoed and finally, Jake asked quietly.

Carolyn shook her head sadly. "Not for a while. Maybe later."

Thea turned and ran to Mala and both young women began to cry and comfort each other.

Danny rubbed his face, then went and put an arm around the two girls. It wasn't long before Jake joined them. Then, one by one, Eli, Ian, Bray, Drake, and Ben.

Smiling as best she could, Sam hugged Vala, then Daniel, before walking away to stare out the window.

Vala pulled out Daniel's shirttail and began to pat her eyes. Then she fluffed her hair. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful as always." Daniel kissed her, then grabbing her shoulders he turned her quickly forward and nudged her along. He turned away so if she looked back she would not see the fear in his moist eyes.

Both Jack and Teal'c put an arm around each of Daniel's shoulders, and Cam stood in front of the trio.

"She's got the best damned doctor in the universe." Cam said with a little catch to his voice.

"I know." Daniel nodded, wiping at his eyes with a sleeve.

"Alright, you kids," Jack took a step back, pointing around the room at all their children. Then, as a second thought, pointed to each of the adults. "We're gonna stay calm. We are going to pray, chant, burn fake candles, do the Hak'tyl Hula if necessary."

"As soon as DanielJackson has his turn and we are all together I shall tell a story. An Odyssey story that I have never told anyone before."

Sam raised a brow. "THE Odyssey story?"

"It is time. I cannot change a future with the tale. Not now."

"I'm going for real coffee, as much as I can find. Don't start without me." Sam hurried down the corridor.

"She's gonna need some help." Cam took out after her.

"Yeah, lots of help." Eli nodded to the rest of SG-1, Danny, Ian and Bray, and the team followed after Cam.

~0o0o0o~

Having taken the furniture and rearranging it in a semi-circle the waiting room occupants sat on chairs and the floor around Teal'c who stood before them.

"I have waited many years to speak these words that I have held deep inside me, with much difficulty. Though I cannot impart all that transpired, I can tell you this…

"One morning, three months into our entrapment in the time dilation field upon the Odyssey, ColonelMitchell wandered into the mess hall looking somewhat stunned. The colonel did not take confinement well, which he has confessed repeatedly, thereby releasing my hold on that information. Generally, while confined on the ship, his face appeared strained."

Cam, who'd been leaning forward, sat back with a half laugh.

"He obviously had cut his incessant run throughout the ship quite short. Unless you were in the corridors, one rarely saw him before dinner.

I became curious and asked him to explain. Before he could speak, GeneralLandry came in, his watering can in his hand, and he too looked odd, as if puzzled. ColonelCarter joined us, having drifted in for no apparent reason. That was the way it went quite often as we had become so closely aligned.

For a moment no one spoke, GeneralLandry, ColonelCarter, and myself only stared at ColonelMitchell…as if we knew he had something to tell us.

We all sat around the table by the window that held the same stars as it had for many, many weeks.

The colonel, staring out the window, began to speak with awe in his voice. He had been running that morning, of course, and as he passed DanielJackson's quarters ValaMalDoran emerged, pulling her shirt over her head, quite disheveled and apparently, according to ColonelMitchell looking…and I am quoting the colonel, 'like she'd just been ravished'.

We were shocked, that I can assure you. Though on future discussions we all admitted it was not a complete surprise.

The two had left together the previous night after dinner and it appeared that they did not part until morning.

Before we could get deep into discussing this situation DanielJackson walked in. I saw the other three at the table attempt to act unaware. It was, as they say, a complete disaster. Quiet humorous also.

The man himself looked befuddled. Not by his companion's reaction, the man was oblivious to his surrounds. I am convinced that had he not been on this ship three months and the route to the mess hall deeply embedded in his subconscious, he would have traversed the corridors lost for the next fifty years.

Our friend joined us at the table and there the five of us sat quietly looking out that window. We must have remained so for ten minutes until ValaMalDoran bounded in the room beaming happily. As one, we all turned our heads toward her.

She greeted everyone with great cheer before turning to her supposed lover and with a softness none of us had ever witnessed, she wished him a good morning.

As one, our heads turned to DanielJackson. And that is when we knew for sure they had been...together. The look on his face as he quietly returned her greeting could only be described as happily-guilty."

Daniel put his arm around Vala and pulled her tight against him as Teal'c continued.

"ValaMalDoran expressed some concern that there was no food or drink upon the table, and boldly confessed she was ravenous from much exertion. The rest of us were once again shocked as DanielJackson stood and offered to bring her breakfast.

It was at this point ColonelMitchell commented, 'I told you so.'

For the next three weeks the couple tried to hide their involvement. It was quite amusing, actually, though both ColonelCarter and ColonelMitchell had inadvertently come upon them in a compromising position. ColonelMitchell finding them in the hanger bay and ColonelCarter discovering them in the Asgard data room. Both times they had jumped apart.

They had no idea that we were aware that ValaMalDoran came to DanielJackson's quarters each night, leaving very early in the morning thinking she escaped before ColonelMitchell's morning run past. ColonelMitchell had, out of courtesy, changed his route.

Then, one day, GeneralLandry came upon the two of them sitting quietly, alone, in the mess hall. Preparing a snack, the general took his seat at the head of the table and simply informed them that there was no reason to hide their liaison.

The general reported that both began to deny any relationship to which he told them he would take it as a favor if they moved in together so that ColonelMitchell would stop running by the general's quarters so early in the morning.

It was DanielJackson that agreed it would be best, confessing he would have come to the general soon with that exact request.

Later, when I entered the mess hall, ColonelCarter was hugging ValaMalDoran and ColonelMitchell was shaking DanielJackson's hand. The general looked quiet pleased with himself. I too felt happy for them.

Their relationship over the next fifty years is part of what kept us all sane. Their happiness was infectious and only grew through the years. There were times when their laughter, echoing through the corridors, saved us all from slipping into a void.

They lived together until the very end, never parting. I must confess that the thought of them going back, not remembering, was as hard for the rest of us, as I am sure it was for them. I held onto the hope they would rediscover their love and when they did I felt a great burden lift, and now completely disappear."

As Teal'c finished the group before him lifted their faces and stared behind him.

Teal'c turned to find his son, Thorn, holding a bundle and grinning. "It's a boy. Both are doing fine!"

Vala hurried towards the delivery room, stopping to take a quick peek at her grandson, then rushing away, Ishta right behind her.

Smiling at Daniel and Teal'c, Thorn bowed his head. "Come meet your grandson, Mel'Ro'nak. We decided to create a new Tau'ri/Jaffa name, therefore, we combined your father's names."

~END AGAIN – Temporary or otherwise.


End file.
